


They Who Know 9,999 Things

by novaauster



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Gay Zuko (Avatar), Gen, Happy Ending, I hate him too he's weird, I mean sort of he's just my favorite im sorry if im basic, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle but not a perfect person and thats what makes him a good character, Jet (Avatar) Lives, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Southern Water Tribe, Yue (Avatar) Lives, Zhao (Avatar) Is An Asshole, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, Zuko Joins The Gaang Early (Avatar), Zuko joins the Gaang at the Siege of the North, conservation of character? I hardly know her!, hes not in many scenes I just hate him, no beta readers we die like jet, pretty much every character is gonna get a little spotlight as a treat, the Gaang are friends and thats cool, this isn't a zukka fic but we'll see
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:00:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 52,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27089761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/novaauster/pseuds/novaauster
Summary: Robbie, a knowledge spirit working for Wan Shi Tong, is doing a study on good and evil in humans. They decide that the moment Zhao tries to go fishing is a scholarly time to interfere with international affairs. Robbie is totally gonna get an A plus in Philosophy class this time, and maybe they'll learn something too.
Comments: 42
Kudos: 65





	1. Poles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my fic! Here are some fair warnings before you begin, dear reader.
> 
> 1: I stomp on canon until it cries for its mommy. Unfortuantely, there are no alive and good mother figures in the whole show, oops. (Katara doesn’t count, she’s a child.)
> 
> 2: There won’t be any smut, underage drinking, or (permanent) major character death. Anything else is rather fair game, though I try to warn when I think something needs warning. If you know you can’t read about something, play it safe and ask on Tumblr (@novaauster) or in the comments and I’ll tell you if it’ll come up.
> 
> 3: There will be four vague little plot arcs to this fic. We begin in Arc 1: Poles
> 
> Have fun, because I certainly will. >:)

“What the FUCK are you,” Zuko screeched, throwing fire with remarkably good form at the sharp-toothed spirit with seaweed in their fire-red hair. “Swamp spirits don’t belong in the North Pole!”

Robbie could have pointed out that neither did firebenders. Robbie was not offended at being called a swamp spirit. Robbie was They Who Know Less Than Ten Thousand Things, and being compared to a swamp spirit was not offensive, because biodiversity was important. Nevertheless, they glared indignantly. “I am a knowledge spirit, young man, and it isn’t my fault that the fastest way to get to Agni’s Chosen from the library is through the swamp!”

Zuko threw another fireball. Robbie failed to absorb it properly, because they were a knowledge spirit, not a combat one. A nerd, not a jock, one might say. 

“Stop it,” Robbie said with the tone they had learned to use among those with strong opinions. Opinions in the spirit world were quite destructive. “My death would put the largest dent in the schedule.”

Those with destructively strong opinions about where spirits should be usually did not have aligned morals. The firebender was scared. “Am I killing you? I thought spirits couldn't... Agni I need to find Uncle…”

“Death is an illusion, and frankly we don’t have time to retreat.” Robbie pointed towards the icy entrance to the spirit oasis. “You have a fishing trip to interrupt.”

“ah… yes i do.” He spoke in lowercase letters. “i have treason to commit.”

He could not be having second thoughts about committing treason by failing to follow Admiral Zhao's orders and capturing the Avatar. Not after swimming through polar waters and almost dying far too many things. Robbie had considered many stupid things in their dozens of years, but Zuko’s hesitation outranked them all. Robbie sighed. “I could always prevent the knowledge of your small treason from reaching Caldera,” they offered.

“Thanks...?” 

Robbie floated behind Zuko like a balloon with free will as the prince barged into sacred Northern land.

Some sacred Northern soldiers shifted into battle stances. 

Robbie didn’t think doing a case study on human morality would require this much intervention. They shot in front of the Fire Nation prince. “Hello, Robbie here!” they said frantically. “I’m vouching for his willingness to join Team Avatar as a firebending teacher.”

“My what?” Zuko screeched.

Robbie flicked a glance at him. “Listen, your highness, I’m dying and there are waterbending healers right here. Take this for the team.”

“What team?”

Katara was surreptitiously siphoning spirit water to use as a weapon. “We don’t want him either.”

The commotion made Aang wake up from his spirit-world adventure. “Don’t want who?” He shot fifty feet in the air. “Zuko?”

Robbie firmly placed themself in front of Zuko once again. They pressed their fists together in an Air Nomad bow. “Avatar Aang, Agni’s Chosen and I are in need of assistance. Also, Admiral Zhao of the Fire Nation is coming for those holy fish. Tui and La, I mean.”

Tui and La continued swimming around each other. 

“Um.” Aang blinked. “Honored spirit, I don’t think he wants to be my firebending teacher. But thanks for the information, and we’d be happy to heal you.” He nodded, satisfied with his deescalation-bending.

“You don’t get me without him.” Robbie let a hint of their canines show in an approximation of a smile. “And you need me.”

Katara tentatively approached with glowing water wrapped round her hands. Robbie bowed their head and allowed the skilled water-healer to soothe the burns in their spirit. It would take longer for a full recovery, but at least Robbie was able to stand instead of float when Zhao came in, which was a plus.

A firebender with sideburns worthy of Pride and Prejudice kicked down the door, and all of predictable Hell broke loose. 

Predictably, Zuko went straight for the Avatar. Robbie yanked him back with cosmic energy, otherwise known as a vibe check. “You are _not _going to capture Aang, you…” dipshit was too weak a word. “... loyalist.”__

____

____

Predictably, Zhao went straight for the fish. 

Predictably, Zhao tried to stab Zuko in the back with a flame dagger. Two squirrel-birds with one stone, Robbie supposed. 

Not so predictably, everyone’s favorite knowledge spirit was not down for their new ally’s second fiery doom. So, like any good vengeful spirit, they possessed Zuko.

Something was inside Zuko’s brain. Suddenly, he knew more history than he would ever want to study and developed a fear of owls.

“Get out,” he told them.

“No, thank you, apologies,” Robbie replied politely, then, also politely, escorted an entire Fire Navy fleet out of the Northern Water Tribe. They had overstayed their welcome.

Robbie exited Zuko’s brain. It wasn’t an appealing place to stay. “Take us with you,” Robbie pleaded to the Avatar and his team.

Both the spirit and the firebender passed out.


	2. Outlining

A minor spirit and, simply, a minor, both lay unconscious on sacred ground. The simply-a-minor was drooling on the holy grass. His hair looked stupid. The minor spirit had seaweed and mud plastered to their singed black clothes. Katara knew they didn't look like much of a threat at the moment, considering that they were unconscious on holy Water Tribe land, but after Zuko appeared to use spirit powers to control nearly the entire Fire Navy, she was ready to reconsider.

Aang looked at the two the same way he had looked at Momo in the Air Temple, and asked “Can we keep them?”

“Firebenders are evil,” Katara argued. "We can't trust the spirit, and Zuko has tried to kill us so many times. I don't know what the spirit did to him, but we can't have them doing that to us. We don't know what they want." 

“Yeah, but spirits are good,” Aang said. “And they said that Zuko was Agni’s Chosen, Agni is a spirit, right? So maybe he's less bad than we originally thought.”

“Agni is the Great Spirit of fire, the same way Tui is the Great Spirit of the moon,” Yue explained. 

“Yeah, that! That’s good, right?”

The Northern Water Tribe princess, who had experience in politics, reminded them all that having a Fire prince on their side and under the control of an obviously powerful spirit would be beneficial, but of course it was up to Team Avatar to decide, and if they left the spirit and the prince in the custody of the Northern Water Tribe they would never escape. She and the Northern soldiers began making their way out of the spirit oasis. 

Sokka understood that. With the power the spirit and Zuko just showed, they couldn't be imprisoned. If the Gaang didn't take them, they would be killed. This was a war, but Sokka wasn't ready to damn a spirit. And Aang really thought Zuko could be better, what would Sokka tell him if Zuko never got the chance?

Before Yue left, the Southern Water Tribe siblings insisted that Yue was also part of Team Avatar, and could join them if she wanted. The princess declined the offer, for she had other duties, and suggested that unless they wanted to explain to the chief what had just happened in a formal courtroom setting, they should leave through the inviting hole in the cave’s roof. 

Katara lifted Zuko and Robbie into Appa’s saddle by balancing them both on a chunk of ice and tilting the ice so they slid off like rag dolls onto the bison. The rest of the Gaang followed. Before they left, Yue gave Katara a waterskin full of spirit water, just in case. Appa took off with a groan into the blizzard.

It was a while before Aang thought to ask “Where are we going?”

The knowledge spirit, who was slightly shivering but too noncorporeal to say anything about it, replied “Beifong Estate, Gaoling, Earth Kingdom.”

A water whip was immediately prepared. It was almost instantly cloudy with ice from the blizzard. “Since when have you been awake?”

“Five minutes, thirty-seven seconds.” If Robbie was not technically impervious to cold (actually, they weren’t sure, they didn’t pay much attention in biology class) their voice would be wavering.

“And why do you get to choose the route, Robin?”

Robbie wished they weren’t too lazy to pull out their notebook. “According to my research, Lady Toph Beifong is the ideal earthbending teacher for Aang. And you may call me Robbie, I don’t actually go by Robin.”

Sokka narrowed his eyes at the spirit. “Are you just gonna… answer our questions? No interrogation needed?”

“You should hope so.” Robbie was curling up in the corner because it was comfortable, not because they were cold and out of their depth on a sky bison with humans who wanted to interrogate them. And they had a deadline to make. 

“So, why are you here?” Aang was on Appa’s neck, holding the reins as a formality, but his airbender voice carried over the wind.

Robbie explained the rubric for their project and hoped it wasn’t offensive.

“So, Zuko’s the evil and Aang’s the good and you’re making a baking-soda and vinegar geyser out of us?” Katara’s reaction implied that it was offensive.

Robbie was quick to correct her. They hadn’t gained a reputation as the one to cheat off of during quizzes for nothing. “The prince was, obviously, taught by the Firelord.” They read the room. “I don’t like Firelord Ozai. To be clear. So, as my final research project, I’m measuring how long it takes for Zuko to become outwardly good, provided an environment radically different from the Fire Nation, proving my thesis that humans are good and dynamic beings, contrary to the beliefs of...” They read the room again. Rooms were more difficult to read than scrolls. “Also, I plan to help you defeat the Firelord and I will not do evil and bad things." Well, except for what they had just done. Possession wasn't perfectly morally sound, but Robbie hadn't had the time to plan anything more sophisticated. "Pinky promise.” In their true form as a knowledge spirit, Robbie was a fox, so they didn’t technically have a pinky to promise with, but the sentiment translated. Had they been speaking to someone Fire Nation they would have sworn on their honor.

"Is the idea that humans are good a new idea for the spirits?" Aang asked genuinely.

"Yes." What did this have to do with anything? 

"If it's that radical, why do you care about changing it?" Katara challenged.

"In short, spite."

Sokka considered that. "Spite is a perfectly valid reason to do anything, but you're gonna have to elaborate on that."

Robbie was used to presenting their thesis, not explaining why they needed to prove it. They were silent for three beats of Appa's tail. "If I don't do this, and do it right, humans will never again be allowed into the Library. The last human allowed in burned down an entire section in search of information on murdering spirits, and so Wan Shi Tong, the librarian and my teacher, has decided not to allow humans in. If I'm to make the Library my eternity's work, I can't have it be incomplete and unchanging. As I said earlier, humans can make permanent changes, and do so all the time. Spirits stay the same." If everything stayed as it was forever, Robbie didn't know what they would do. 

"That doesn't sound like spite to me," Aang said.

Robbie shrugged. They were disobeying Wan Shi Tong by even inhabiting a body, it was spite to them.

"Do you get that humans are... people?" Katara asked, remembering that she was still holding an icy water whip and slowly siphoning it back into a waterskin. "Not just, you know, points on a graph?"

Points on a graph were ink and paper, humans were mostly water. Robbie knew the literal difference. "Of course."

Sokka had taken out a pen and paper. How were his hands not frozen? “So, what’s your plan?”

“We should fly by night and rest during the day to avoid being spotted. Aang needs to learn earthbending before firebending, so getting to the Beifong Estate is top priority right now.” Robbie pointed to several spots on Sokka’s map. “We’ll have to take a trip to the Sun Warriors island, likely the Waterbender Swamp--”

“You can read a map too?” In that instant, Sokka decided to adopt Robbie as a new sister. Assuming Robbie was a girl. Hmm. That was a question for another time, when there weren’t more pressing matters like map-reading abilities at hand.

“Yes! You learn some things-- less than ten thousand, of course--” they didn’t get the joke, move on, “as a knowledge spirit. Moving on, we should avoid Ba Sing Se and the Dai Li, at some point I will detour to get Fire Princess Azula and also the Order of The White Lotus on our side, and we should be at Caldera City by the Day of Black Sun for the invasion.”

“Who?”

“The what?”

“When?”

Robbie just answered “Firebenders can’t bend on a solar eclipse, so we should invade then. Keep in mind when I say invade I mean use as little lethal force as possible.” Aang would agree with that, right? “To get to the Firelord-- don’t fret, there’s a vegan option to murder-- we need Princess Azula on our side.”

“You sure know a lot,” Katara said.

“I am a knowledge spirit,” Robbie repeated, and wondered when the gaang would get it. 

“How did you get everyone to leave the North Pole?” Oh, she was suspicious. That was fair.

“Knowledge.” Before Katara could waterboard them, they elaborated “Lightning is a sub-skill of firebending, it’s electricity. Neurons use electricity. Using Zuko’s firebending, I bent the thought ‘we need to go’ into their brains. It’s more ethical than a normal battle, I think.”

Aang’s face lit up, his raising eyebrows wrinkling his forehead arrow. “Could I do that to Firelord Ozai?”

“I genuinely think he would have a stroke if his brain produced a peaceful thought. But you’d have to ask a lion-turtle to be sure.” Before anyone could ask, Robbie reminded “Not a turtle-lion, a lion-turtle.”

“Oh.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m going to try to have a weekly upload schedule in case you’re wondering and/or emotionally invested, which is a terrible decision, really.


	3. Messenger

They’d barely spotted land when Zuko jerked awake so forcefully that he fell off of Appa. Aang didn’t hesitate; he snapped his glider open and jumped after him. He snatched the disoriented firebender out of the sky like a hawk catching prey just before he would have shattered on the freezing ocean’s waves. 

“Why isn’t he fighting?” Katara squinted at the limp red figure hanging from Aang’s glider. 

Robbie never had paid attention in biology class. They’d be in so much trouble if possessing Zuko had taken his bending or something. They shrunk back even more and did not whimper. The auras of the humans on the bison flared with confusion.

“You good?” The end of Sokka’s question was drowned out when Aang set Zuko back in Appa’s saddle and Zuko began screaming at the spirit.

“What the fuck did you do to me? I was supposed to capture the Avatar, and…” he gestured at the general situation they were in. “The Avatar captured me? That’s not how it’s supposed to go! I never-- I never asked you to interrupt, I was doing fine, and you could’ve just warned me, not whatever in Koh’s cave you did when Zhao--”

Robbie wasn’t staring at their shoes and breathing like they were choking and making sure their spirit didn’t turn dark because they were afraid, or guilty, because… because… they were a knowledge spirit, they could think in the face of a angry teenage boy, their ears weren’t ringing and painful, they could think. Because. 

“And does Uncle even know where I am, and you’re still not out of my Agni-damned head because for some reason now I know the Fire Nation is bad--” the statement seemed to shortwire him and he collapsed in Appa’s saddle for the second time in one day. He might have been shivering feverishly, Robbie wasn’t sure. They were still cowering. Zuko’s aura flickered like an electrocuted candle. 

Sokka scooted his foot out from under Zuko’s head. “What did you do to him?”

Because. It was Robbie’s turn to speak, they’d been called on. What had the teacher, no, Sokka, what had Sokka said? “I did wrong.”

“Yeah, but how?” Katara asked patiently. And calmly. Because someone had to be calm, and the serene, detached-from-the-world spirit clearly wasn’t going to play that role. 

“I…” Robbie never paid attention in bio, but they loved philosophy. In philosophy, you didn’t have to have the right answer, you just had to have a theory. “When I possessed him, I think his brain automatically sifted through mine to find what was familiar to it.” That made sense, right? All Robbie remembered from Zuko’s brain was an intense pool of not-belonging, and a lot of fear, which was quite relatable. “He must have found everything I know about the hundred-year war and the Fire Nation. You already know I think Ozai is evil. That must have caused the prince some cognitive dissonance.”

Any good student knew about cognitive dissonance.

“So, is he just going to sleep it off, or…” Sokka trailed off.

Robbie wasn’t sure, but they thought they saw smoke coming out of Zuko’s ears. It was far more worrying than intimidating. Amazing how one’s perception of others changed when they weren’t yelling. “I... probably. Actually, I don't know, sorry. Katara. Could you make sure he doesn’t firebend his brain out?”

Katara grumbled about stupid destructive firebenders but got out some glowing water nevertheless.

Robbie hoped that leaning against the hard wood of Appa’s saddle was a good enough replacement for sitting up straight as they maneuvered themself into the Air Nomad meditation position. 

Aang hopped through the air and landed beside them. “Are you meditating? Can I join you?” A sense of quieted nostalgia stabbed through the air. 

“Uh, alright.” They couldn't just stay here and wait. They had a deadline. Just breathe. In through the nose, out through the mouth, in rhythm. 1234, 1234, and feel their spirit leave their body. 

Robbie, now in their true form, a glowing fox with no mass, floated above their human body. It was a good thing they learned how to navigate by the stars, because they had an errand to run and astral projection was cheaper than hiring a messenger.

With every step in the sky they sped up, the same way that spaceships didn’t need thrusters to fly. They were aiming vaguely for the North Pole, and slightly east. If the general was as good a lightning-bender as he said, he would not have responded to the neuron-bending Robbie had used to banish the Fire Navy from the North Pole. If the general was as smart as he said, he’d be well on his way to the Earth Kingdom by now. If the general was as benevolent as he said, he’d be heading to Caldera first. 

Robbie found General Iroh on a stolen motorboat headed towards the Earth Kingdom. 

Predictable.

Robbie descended from the sky and sat on the cold metal hood of the motorboat. It took Iroh precisely three minutes and seventeen seconds to notice the stowaway see-through canine. 

If he was surprised, he didn’t show it. “I didn’t see you there. What’s your name?”

Speaking was difficult as a fox, but Robbie managed fairly well. “I’m Robin, and I’m here to tell you that your nephew is alive.”

Warningless intimidatingness seemed to run in the family. “Where is he,” the general demanded. 

“With the Avatar.” Robbie rushed to explain “He got to the North Pole to prevent Zhao from capturing the Avatar faster than you did, I assume, and with my and the Avatar’s help we got the Fire Navy to retreat. Well, you know that. It was a difficult battle. He’s not gravely wounded but he’s staying with us until he recovers. And I don’t think he will return to the Fire Nation any time soon. There was... he appeared to commit treason in the battle.” Which was entirely Robbie's fault, but they really shouldn't say that, should they?

“So did I,” Iroh said. “I plan to visit the Earth Kingdom for a while. You will send me a message as soon as my nephew is ready to join me.”

“Yes, sir.” Robbie thought for a while about how to say this. “I can travel faster than humans. It wouldn’t be any trouble if you’d like me to send a message to your niece as well.”

Robin had taken the master of pai sho off guard. That was an unprecedented accomplishment. He stroked his beard. “I’m not sure she’d enjoy hearing from me. My niece is an… independent young woman.”

Of course Azula was independent. She had nobody to depend on. Well, that wasn’t Robbie’s business. “I could send a message to the White Lotus?”

“I won’t need your assistance with that, thank you for the offer.” Iroh stared Robbie down. “It’s getting late.”

“I suppose it is.” Robbie circled to their feet and padded back up into the sky. They weren’t disappointed at the conversation, exactly, but they were. Iroh seemed like any other general. Possibly cleverer, but not better.

A fire was flickering in the center of Appa’s saddle when Robbie returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Robbie really sees Zuko wake up and is like "well, well, well, if it isn't the consequences of my own actions" smh. 
> 
> Uncle is really hard to write, I hope it didn’t sound too ooc. 
> 
> Thanks for reading, and happy halloween!


	4. Setting Up Camp

Nothing important was on fire. As Robbie flew closer and also spotted the glow of spirit water, they concluded that all the benders were meditating while Sokka sulkily drove Appa. 

Robbie sunk back into their body and was relieved. They’d been expecting the same bone-deep cold, but the latitude and the rhythmically flaring candle to their left made the chill reach only their muscles. They didn’t prefer it to the cosmic numbness of astral projection, but they saw the appeal of corporeality. 

Zuko was the first to notice their return. His candle snuffed itself out. “You’re back.”

Robbie couldn’t shrink back any further. “Yeah… you seemed worried about your uncle, so I found him. He’s glad you’re alive.” They weren’t a good liar, so they came right out and said. “You can meet him in the Earth Kingdom if you want.”

“Cool.”

Robbie looked for something other than Zuko to focus on. "I'm sorry for possessing you, by the way. It was... the fastest solution to the situation, but..." Spending time in Zuko's mind had affected Robbie, same as Robbie's mind had affected Zuko's, and though they hadn't really explored the concept of human free will in philosophy class, they knew that hurting people was bad, and Zuko had definitely been hurt. "It was very wrong, I think." "Yeah," Zuko said, "It was." 

Katara put away the water she’d been meditating with. “He’s not strong enough to travel to the Earth Kingdom alone, by the way. I don’t know why, I’m not that good a healer yet. But he’s gonna have to stay with us for a few more days.”

Nobody was ecstatic about that not-diagnosis, but nobody argued either.

“So,” Aang non-sequitured, “What’s it like as a spirit? How old are you?”

Robbie had to think about that. “I’m not an adult yet, but I’ve also been alive for one thousand years.”

“Mood,” Sokka mumbled.

“The old ones say it’s peaceful, but in the spirit world it's... different... because nothing ever changes. Ever.”

Aang’s eyes widened. “That sounds scary.”

“Huh. I suppose. It sure is existential.” Robbie wasn’t quite sure what existential meant, but it sounded right. 

“What’s the coolest thing you’ve learned?” Aang asked. 

The first thing that came to mind was “the sub-types of bending. I’m a spirit, so I can’t bend, but it always sounded neat.”

“What kinds of sub-types?” Katara asked, remembering neuron-bending. 

“Um.” Which ones were technically ethical again? “You can bend… steam. And firebenders can bend electricity. And earthbenders can bend crystal.” Robbie failed to mention bloodbending, bonebending, breathbending, or neuronbending. 

“Neat,” Sokka said. “Do you know anything about normal people?”

There were certainly things just as fascinating as bending. Robbie had once spent one hundred and fifty years contemplating a philosophical issue, without any resolution. “Have you ever heard of paradoxes?”

Everyone but Appa and Momo were flat on their backs and overthinking by the time Appa landed in a small clearing. Zuko got a free pass from chores by offering to build a fire, which didn’t seem fair, but Robbie didn’t know enough about firebending to dispute it. 

Sokka, Katara, and Aang seemed to have a routine. Aang airbent the tents and blankets down from Appa, Sokka found good places to set them up, and Katara went looking for the nearest water source. 

Robbie sort of just stood there once they had climbed down from the sky bison. They didn’t have anything to unpack, since spirits were discouraged from having worldly possessions. In the spirit world, they didn’t even have a body or a concept of time, so an evening routine was an unfamiliar concept. 

“Why are you just standing there?” Sokka asked.

Robbie shuffled their feet. “I’ve never set up a campsite before.”

Sokka looked at Zuko, a literal prince, who probably never set up a camp or did anything practical a day in his life. He seemed to be managing just fine. Why couldn’t Robbie figure-- oh, right. Spirit, not human. “Help me put up the tents. I’ll teach you how.”

Sokka showed Robbie the tent stakes, which were “to fasten the tent to the ground, but it’s not like there’s going to be a windstorm, and we’ve got Aang if there is, so.” And the tarps, which were “to make sure we don’t get wet if it rains, but we’ve got Aang and Katara, and besides, it makes a great pillow rolled up.” Finally, Sokka held up something that, apparently, was important.

“A bundle of oddly even sticks?”

The tent poles. Sokka showed Robbie how the sticks fastened together and Robbie remembered what it felt like to build. They built all the poles in one minute flat, which wasn’t bad for the spirit jigsaw puzzle champion of 437 B.A. (Before Aang). Robbie may have said that last part out loud.

“I… forgot you were old.”

“Well, not practically--”

“Boomer.”

Robbie didn’t know what that meant. Modern humans and their newfangled slang-ridden dialects. Scrolls didn’t use language like that. “Oh my, do I talk like I’m old?”

“Like an insecure ancient hero, yeah.”

Robbie wasn’t sure if that was funny, but they laughed anyway.

Zuko overheard, because eavesdropping had saved his life many times over and so had become a habit. “Like a comic relief character from the unabridged Love Amongst The Dragons,” he confirmed.

“Holy Fog Of Lost Souls,” Sokka said, “you have a sense of humor?”

“One of the many skills I learned training under the Dragon of The West.” Zuko wasn’t sure how to tell an actual joke, so he figured saying absurd things with his signature resting bitch face would have to do. Like Mai used to do. Until he escaped or captured the Avatar (and figured out what to do afterwards, now knowing about the crimes of his nation and that he definitely shouldn't doom a twelve-year-old to life in prison) he figured he shouldn't antagonize anyone. Except for Robbie, because they absolutely deserved antagonizing.

An enemy that was laughing was less likely to kill you painfully, after all. Was that funny? Better safe than sorry, he didn’t say it.

“So the fabric goes over the sticks like… this?” Robbie asked, doing it completely wrong. Zuko felt excruciating secondhand embarrassment. Didn’t the spirit know that you only asked your tutor to grade something after you were sure it was right, otherwise--

Sokka adjusted the lopsided tent. “More like this.” He wasn’t even disappointed. He didn’t seem like a very good tutor. 

But then Robbie said “Oh, that makes sense,” and fixed the same mistake on the second tent. 

So a bad teacher and a bad student made correct learning? Double negatives were weird. 

Robbie looked over the third tent. It looked right! Tent-building, as a human skill, didn’t count as one of their Ten Thousand Things, but they were still glad they’d learned it. “Thanks for teaching me. I think I can do the next one on my own?”

Sokka slapped his palm to his forehead. “That’s what I forgot, there’s only three. We’ll have to share.”

Robbie, Aang, and Sokka looked at each other and chorused “Zuko gets his own.”

“I could share with Sokka,” Aang offered. “So the girls get the third tent?”

“The… who?” Robbie asked.

“Oh, sorry, are you a boy?” Aang said.

“I’m a spirit?”

“Yeah, but which are you?” Sokka asked.

Robbie mentally ran through their knowledge of modern social constructs. It took a second before they remembered “Right! Most humans have gender. And heterosexuality.” They laughed. “I don’t. I can still share a tent with Katara if that’s easiest.”

The three boys short-circuited.

“What should we call you, then?”

“Uh, my name? Robbie? Oh, right, language has pronouns! They.”

“If you’re not a man or a woman, who pays the dowry?”

“We don’t have money. Or weddings.”

“Neither do the Air Nomads! That’s cool!”

Grammatically, it would be “neither did the Air Nomads.” Zuko did not correct the Avatar. Also grammatically, “they” was plural. Zuko did not correct the spirit. Language differed over time, he guessed.

Katara got back from the nearby stream right about then. “What are you all doing?”

“They’re all confused because I don’t have a gender,” Robbie explained.

“Oh, cool. Have you finished setting up camp?”

They all got back to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you can have a little Zuko pov, as a treat. This is sort of a filler chapter but it was fun to write, so I hope you liked it!


	5. Rise With The Sun

Robbie woke up so forcefully their spirit abandoned their body and waited for it to calm down. They lay there, trapped in their borrowed blanket, for sixty-eight seconds. Their breath curled like smoke in the freezing dawn.

They still couldn’t believe sleep was just a thing humans did. Every night, they had to vividly hallucinate for hours? It didn’t make sense. But maybe Robbie was just shaken by the dreams already slipping through their memory like sand.

No wonder humans were so fascinating, if they dreamed like that.

Katara didn’t seem to notice Robbie waking up. She was diagonally sprawled in her sleeping bag like a caterpillar on cactus juice, snoring. Robbie pushed Katara’s legs off of their own and slithered out of the tent.

The grass was not frosted over. It didn’t have dew on it, either. This would have been strange, if it weren’t for the firebender practicing katas in the middle of the campsite. 

Robbie rubbed their eyes. It was really too early for that.

Zuko spotted the spirit-- for a second he mistook their disheveled red hair for fire-- and extinguished not only the fire in his hands but the campfire too. “Hi.”

“Do people always dream like that?”

“What?”

“I’ve never slept before-- spirit, you know,-- and I recall being chased by Wan, I mean a giant owl, because I forgot to do my math homework, and I was 300 years old again for some forsaken reason, oh, being 300 was a time, and then I fell into a pit of lava, which, fair, math homework is important, but...” Robbie shrugged. “It was a bit much.”

Zuko did not respond to that. 

Robbie ran a hand through their hair and discovered that the plants and mud from the spirit wilds were still in it. “Which way is the creek?”

Zuko pointed east. “It’s not far. Don’t fall in. If you die I’ll be the suspect, and I should only get investigated for murder I did commit.”

“Alright.” Robbie began walking east. 

“I didn’t mean that,” Zuko yelled after Robbie. They cringed. Zuko’s yelling voice hurt their ears. “I don’t kill people, and I don’t like getting investigated for murder I did commit either. That was a joke.”

“Yes,” Robbie called over their shoulder and entered the forest. 

The terrain reminded Robbie of dormant volcano highlands. Dirt, poking through springy evergreen needles and underbrush, crumbled black with igneous rock. The trees were spindly and more silver than green, shimmering in the distance like fog. The dawn sky hoarded the color in the scene, piercingly blue. Robbie tripped over several arthritic tree roots trying to see everything. As they hiked, the shushing of the fast-moving creek became more pronounced and the air smelled of ice and aspen.

The creek was clearer than glass. It danced and lept over smoothed stones. Robbie wondered if some glacial spirit had blessed it long ago. They kneeled at the water’s edge, sand and evergreen needles poking into their hands, and contemplated the water. The creek would flow on long after the war. So would Robbie, and all of the spirits back home. It wasn’t comforting. 

Robbie unlaced their boots and took off their borrowed parka. They set those aside, on a rock, and walked on their knees into the shallow, fast-moving water.

It was so cold their diaphragm spasmed, but it felt good against the shallow burns Zuko had given them in the North Pole. The clear water fogged with silt, scorched cloth, and dried-up leaves. Their clothes, which were already black, darkened when water soaked them. Robbie hadn’t known that that happened. 

Well, there was no use stalling. Robbie rubbed their hands together and dunked their head into the water. 

The cold wasn’t the only thing that pinched. 

They reared back and screamed, bringing a creature with them. It had far too many legs, a segmented shell, and a claw clinging to Robbie’s right ear.

“Get! Off!” They stumbled back to shore and flung the isopod-crayfish into the water. It may have lost an arm. Good thing it had extras.

They drew their knees to their chin and stared at the creek, shivering. Their ear stung where the isopod-crayfish had pinched, and they still hadn’t gotten all the mud out of their hair. They dropped their borrowed parka back over their shoulders, but it didn’t warm them up, because they were soaking wet. They hadn’t been warm since they left the spirit world, and the only one around who could control heat was joking about murdering them (which was fair, but still hurt). 

It didn’t seem like they’d be warm anytime soon. In fact, if they couldn’t finish their project, they might not be able to return home at all. They’d have to find somewhere else in the spirit world to stay for eternity. Some of the water dripping down their face tasted like salt.

Zuko heard Robbie scream and cursed like a sailor. He still hadn’t been able to relight the agni-damned campfire, and now he had to go and save a spirit from pirates or something, and it was still only dawn. Would he ever get a break? He grabbed his dao swords, which he still had, for some reason, and ran to the creek.

There were no pirates. There was no apparent threat. There was only Robbie, their previously red hair plastered down and maroon, curled up on a rock. He’d told them not to fall in the creek! They appeared to be sobbing. That was objectively worse than any fightable enemy. 

Zuko sort of stood there like Robert Pattinson for a moment. He wondered if he should just leave and pretend he never saw anything.

Robbie lifted their head and glared pitifully. “What, is emotional repression another one of your social constructs?”

Zuko considered the question. “Yes.”

“Oh.” Robbie’s teeth were chattering. “That's a shame.”

There were plenty of sticks and dried leaves scattered around. Zuko collected some into a pile, dumped the pile near Robbie, and lit it on fire. The fire part was harder than it should have been. “What are you angry about?” Zuko hoped that the spirit would calm down quickly. He'd heard horror stories about vengeful spirits.

“I’m not angry, I’m homesick. And also cold.”

“Huh.” Zuko could relate to the second part, if not the first. He sat down beside them. “What do you miss?”

“Among other things, there not being giant isopod-crayfish that think my ear is a damned climbing wall,” they grumbled.

If Zuko looked closely they could see a droplet of blood on Robbie’s right ear. It didn’t look bad, especially compared to his own ear. He could understand how an isopod-crayfish would startle a spirit who came from a world where the only things that attacked were humans. He didn’t think being startled would equal whatever Robbie was doing, though, so he asked. “Among what other things?”

Robbie scooted closer to the fire, accidentally inhaled sparks from the thick smoke, and returned to their original position. “Well, I don’t think I miss Wan Shi Tong. The librarian. He thought all humans were evil just because the greediest ones are the ones he has to… deal with. I’ve tried to explain how his reasoning is flawed, but I can't, because I'm the one that's flawed.”

“That sounds frustrating.” It occurred to Zuko that it was honorable to argue for humans against a greater spirit, when Robbie clearly wouldn’t get anything but a punishment from it. Though contradicting elders was dishonorable, of course. Maybe it didn’t count for spirits.

“It is!” they huffed.

“So is that why you’re here for your project?”

“Mostly. But also because my classmate, Vixen, who’s Wan Shi Tong’s favorite because she appears to follow directions, always wanted to know what it’s like here.” Robbie finally stopped hugging their knees, they sat back and leaned on their hands. “She would never choose the human world for their project and stop being the favorite, so I volunteered, and I’ll tell her about it when I return, and I think she'll finally see it like I do.” Zuko hoped the expression on Robbie’s face was hope and not hypothermic delirium.

“I used to send my sister letters about things I thought she’d like, like the Yuyan archers and the airbender weapons in the temples." He didn’t know why he was telling Robbie this, surely they didn't have _that _much in common. "Those might have just been musical instruments, looking back. Anyway, I thought if I could make it sound like an adventure, she wouldn’t worry. I don’t think she worried anyway. It's too expensive to send letters that get no replies.” When Zuko returned to the Fire Nation, he wondered if Azula would want to know what it's like in the other nations.__

____

____

Was Zuko implying that Robbie’s classmate didn’t care that they were gone? Robbie hadn’t considered that before. It wasn't like Vixen ever showed that she cared, but it was implied, right? They were also pretty sure that princes should have flexible enough budgets for mail. They didn’t ask. “You know, I could send her a message if you want.”

“She’d kill you.” Zuko seemed resigned to that, just like his uncle was. It made Robbie want to try harder, to make up for both of the princes.

“Not forever, and besides, I didn’t ask if she was dangerous, I asked if you wish to tell her anything,” they insisted. Robbie had apologized for forcing Zuko to commit treason, but they knew that a good apology was more than words, so they would do him a favor. And besides, they had to meet the Fire princess eventually. Zuko knew, at least, that Robbie was being genuine, so he said “Yeah. I want her to know…” was this treason? He’d already committed treason, _because of Robbie _so it couldn't be worse than that, at least. “She can run away if she wants. I’d come find her and protect her. Even though she’s stronger than me, I’d still help.” Zuko remembered all he’d learned from Robbie’s brain at the North Pole. “She’s better than the Fire Nation.”__

____

____

Robbie would remember the message. Years of memorization and studying in the library wouldn’t go to waste. “I know you probably learned a lot about… war crimes and such from my research, but the Fire Nation isn’t all bad.” They could practically hear Wan Shi Tong insisting _No, Fire isn’t evil, all the nations are _. They ignored the imagined teaching. “It’s just a nation that did some things in recent history. You’re allowed to miss it.”__

____

Zuko thought of everything Robbie knew about the Fire Nation. He had borrowed memories of ink drawings depicting soldiers kicking in the skulls of Air Nomad children, raining down blow after burning blow down on the nuns and monks who dared to protect those children, he knew the vivid descriptions of how a few Nomads escaped the temples, only to be lured into traps with the promise of other survivors and ambushed mercilessly. He knew that the Air Nation had no army.

One of Zuko's tutors at the palace, an old man who despised Zuko's handwriting, had once said that "The Air Nomads were like vermin, we had to stamp out the first nests and then poison the others." 

Zuko knew about the delicate brushstrokes in the history books at Robbie's library, depicting how to restrain an Avatar. Poisons with gruesome side effects, chains that burned off the skin of hands and feet until it was just a reddened, bloody crust of healing in vain. Hands turned cold and black from lack of blood, joints snapped, torture. He couldn't doom Aang to that fate, especially not for loyalty to a nation that had killed the Air Nomads for no reason but to capture the Avatar so they could rule the world.

So, the Fire Nation wasn't right. Zuko mourned his loss of loyalty to his home. 

He really was an honorless traitor now.

____

“I miss the turtleduck pond.” Wild turtleducks just weren’t the same.

“And?”

“Fire flakes. Spicy food in general. Um. Fire lilies, and national holidays, even if some of them celebrate… bad things.” It went unspoken that bad things was code for war crimes. “They were fun.”

When Robbie wasn't with Vixen, they'd ramble to the Knowledge Seeker foxes about their studies for hours. Most of the silent foxes hoped to learn Things one day, so they listened to Robbie when they didn't have shelving and other work to do. It was strange, how clipped the prince spoke. But of course, he was still angry about the North Pole, so perhaps it wasn't that strange after all. “And?”

“Firebending. I was never perfect, but after getting banished it got worse, and you coming along is taking it away.” He accused.

Robbie didn't know quite enough about bending to know if their actions actually hurt Zuko's bending, so they didn't argue. “You could lie about it.” Lying in the spirit world didn’t work because of the obvious negative emotions involved, but Robbie had always thought it sounded fun. “The others don’t need to know yet, Aang must learn Earth first. So I could help you lie.”

Zuko said “Let’s do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wasn’t that fun? Nothing like a shared lie to bond two effectively-banished kids as they help the Avatar plan to assassinate a world leader. Yes, there will be Azula soon. Also Toph, so look forward to that.


	6. Firelady (part 1)

“Could you cut my hair?”

Robbie looked at Zuko, taken aback. They did think his hair looked stupid, but they remembered reading that the topknot was sacred for Fire people. “Yes, but why?”

“I don’t want to be recognized. There’ll be wanted posters and a bounty on my head.”

“True.” Robbie guessed that sacred Fire Nation hairstyles were not appropriate for traitors. “I don’t have scissors or anything.”

“I have five knives and two swords.” Zuko set seven deadly weapons on the sand in front of them. Where had those come from? “Take your pick.”

Robbie stared. Seven seemed excessive, especially for a human flamethrower. It also seemed like a bad idea to give a potentially vengeful spirit access to weapons. Either Zuko had deduced that they weren’t dangerous, or he didn’t care. They picked the smallest knife. There were actual rubies embedded in the hilt. Spirits may not use money, but they could recognize wealth. There was some sort of honor in being trusted with this. Robbie was grateful.

Robbie breathed out and made sure their hands weren’t shaking. They shuffled behind Zuko and set one unfortunately cold hand on his head to make sure they wouldn’t cut more than his hair. Then, in one surprisingly easy slash of the sharp knife and a ripping sound, his topknot was no longer attached to his head.

Zuko reached up and took the severed topknot from Robbie. 

“I’m going to try to shave the rest so it doesn’t grow back uneven,” Robbie said, “So keep holding still.” They did so, straining their eyes to be careful. “We must go back soon.”

Zuko nodded. “So they don’t leave without us.” He stood and set the topknot in the still-smoking fire. It caught. 

The ceremonial grief tinging Zuko’s aura reminded Robbie that Fire people cremate the dead. 

Robbie offered Zuko the ruby-hilted knife back, but he declined. “You can’t bend, you need a weapon.”

“I suppose.” 

Wan Shi Tong had warned that humans would corrupt, with their violent, too-strong auras and their weapons. Robbie knew that if you thought you weren’t being manipulated, you’d already lost. They would keep the knife, but they wouldn’t use it. That way, they wouldn't be beholden to Zuko or his beliefs on violence. Unless... Robbie didn't really know their limits.

What was worth fighting for?

Zuko pulled the hood on his parka up, hiding his newly bald head, and they both made their way back to the campsite. 

Katara, finally awake, was waiting with her hands on her hips. “Where have you been?”

“We got water.” Zuko held up a waterskin that had been full when he left with it. 

The waterbender did not buy the half-truth. “Robin?”

“I gave him a haircut.”

Zuko flipped his hood down to back Robbie up. 

Aang, who was airbending supplies back onto Appa, said “I like it!”

It apparently hadn’t occurred to Zuko that a shaved head was a traditional Air Nomad hairstyle. He facepalmed, hard. 

Sokka appraised Zuko the same way he’d view a new invention. Dread soaked into Robbie’s bones. “The weird wolftail was… iconic, but it’s not your most recognizable feature,” Sokka said, and gestured to his own face. “You know, the birthmark. Maybe next time we pass by Kyoshi Island we could borrow some makeup--”

Zuko held up a hand. “It’s not a birthmark, are you half-blind too? It’s a scar, peasan-- dumbass.” The said not-birthmark aided greatly in his glare. 

“Oh, my bad.” The words seemed to be spoken of their own curious accord. “How’d you get it?”

Robbie couldn’t stand the choking tension. They said “that’s classified” and hoped to the Spirit World that Sokka dropped it. 

Sokka didn’t think that one through fully, but if Zuko wasn’t a villain anymore (ex-villain? Villain on vacation?) he’d be great roast material. Oh, bad choice of words. Sokka cringed.

Zuko was quietly swearing in the Fire Nation High Court language, which was difficult to do, considering that High Court had no swear words. The rough translation would be “I declare dishonor upon the domesticated beasts of your homeland.” 

Collapsing tents was easier than building them. Camp was packed up in an efficient, silent five minutes, and they were soon back on Appa to go find a village with a market. It wouldn’t be a long trip, but there would be time for Robbie to run an errand.

From Robbie’s research on Princess Azula, they’d need some serenity around to buffer them against the princess’s powerful aura. “Hey, Aang, will you meditate with me?”

“Sure!” The Avatar sat beside them. “The monks used to meditate every morning.”

Robbie nodded. They closed their eyes and pressed their fists together. Breathe in, out, in, keep going. Center, connect to the world. It was odd, how they had to be grounded before they left their body. 

Robbie, now in their fox-spirit form, invisible so they wouldn’t startle Appa or Momo, stepped into the brightly lit sky. Appa flew on with their body on its back. For a moment, they were suspended. Still. But their steps built on each other, and soon they had passed Appa, a dragonfly to a hawk. They kept their nose down and flew from the still-rising sun. 

They rocketed over the ocean, approaching the speed of the spinning planet underneath. Small islands approached and zipped away, crumbling villages small as sand castles. A sparkling tapestry of landscapes rushed past their eyes faster than they could adjust to the light.

It was a good thing the Fire Nation capital was unmistakable. A mountain of jagged igneus, lamp-lit roads harkening to the magma that had once forced its way down its slopes. Robbie slowed. A planned, red-roofed city gleamed from inside its namesake caldera. The cradled palace was the jewel of the crown encircling the mountain. 

If Caldera was a crown, what giant king would wear it? 

Agni would.

The spirit swooped down. They wisped through roofs and golden columns. The royal palace seemed built too tall for mere mortals; servants clustered in corners when they paused in their work, and whispered if they spoke. Everything echoed. No secrets were safe there.

It was like the Library, but tainted with human wealth and war in the stead of eternal silence.

Finding the Princess’s office wasn’t hard. First, Robbie drifted to the kitchens and overheard the assignments. A new employee, it seemed, was being hazed by getting put on serving-the-Princess-breakfast duty. 

“Do I have to?” The new recruit trembled.

Another server, his supervisor, shook her head. She had a distinct aura that conveyed she didn’t have the power to take risks. It might be noble for her to protect the boy from the Princess, but she’d rather protect herself. Robbie understood the attitude, but disliked her still. 

She had the privilege of knowing what was right, and lacked the honor to do it. Robbie had to learn Things, not morality, twelve a year after… After. If Robbie knew what was right the way humans could, they would never again do nothing. Not like the supervisor was doing. Not like Robbie had done, Before. Or During. It wasn’t fair.

The boy’s supervisor said a clipped “Yes, you do, Kuzon.” She handed him a tray of rice, fish, and fruit. Robbie noticed that there was a cup of water, not tea, on the tray.

The server boy, Kuzon, bowed his head as best he could while balancing the tray, and left. 

Robbie floated after him, still invisible. They wished they could speak to him and calm his nerves, but nobody saw a spirit in their workplace and remained calm. The best that Robbie could do was nothing.

Kuzon came to a set of imposing red doors with dragons on them. He awkwardly shifted the tray to one arm so that he could knock. “Your highness?”

A practiced royal voice came from inside the office. “You may enter.”

Kuzon nudged the door open. 

The office was sparsely furnished for the average teenager’s workspace. There were columns at the corners, red tapestries on the wall, and high-quality woven mats on the floor. In the center of the room was a mahogany desk.

At the desk, expectedly, was Crown Princess Azula. 

She wasn’t wearing armor. Robbie didn’t know why they expected her to be. They had just imagined an armor-wearing elite warrior. Instead, she had the powerful aura of Princess Yue, but with a shell of intimidation instead of demure loyalty. Charismatic, the both of them.

Not one strand was out of place in Azula’s topknot. Her brother hadn’t achieved that polished look, even before Robbie had shaved his head. She held a paintbrush with a manicured hand, writing. A little v appeared between her eyebrows as she thought. Robbie imagined that if not for her carefully-painted pink lips, she would stick her tongue out slightly in concentration. 

Kuzon bowed, set the tray on a cleared place on Princess Azula’s desk, bowed again, and left without a word. The doors closed behind him. The doors’ latch sounded like finality.

Robbie was still invisible. They floated over to the princess. She was finishing up a letter. It was addressed to King Bumi of Omashu. Robbie caught that Omashu was under Fire Nation control before Azula signed the name Firelord Ozai, along with several titles, and set her paintbrush down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Protip: If someone asks you an uncomfy question, just say “that’s classified”. Then, you sound cool and they sound like an enemy of the state /j. And yes, eventually we are going to learn what Robbie means by Before, During, and After. Patience, my friend.


	7. Fire Lady, part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter is a day or two late, it won't happen again. Enjoy!

“Why are you writing under Ozai’s name?” Robbie said.

Azula did not look up from her work. “Not now,” she snapped.

“Oh.” Robbie set themself on the floor next to Azula and became visible as a red fox. “I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Robin, a knowledge spirit.”

Azula did not react as most teenagers would when confronted with a wild fox. That is to say, she did not run away or shriek. She shot teal fire at Robbie. 

In spirit form, as Robbie was, they were not harmed by the fire, but they flinched away anyway. What was it about children of the Firelord and shooting fire at them? “Hey,” they said, “that could've hurt.”

“Listen,” Azula hissed, “if you have a grievance against the Fire Nation’s policies, say it quickly. If you’re here for revenge, take it on someone else. Either way, you should leave.”

Robbie did have a couple grievances against the Fire Nation’s policies. They did not tell the Fire Princess that. “I’ll leave soon, don’t worry.”

“Worrying is for fools,” Azula said, “if you don’t leave, I will act.”

They nodded. “I’m here with a message from your brother. He’s alive, he’s only a traitor.”

“Don’t tell me that. I’ll have to tell the Firelord that.” And then, of course, she’d have to hunt Zuko down and get him punished. She’d rather pretend Zhao killed him and let her brother explore the world as he’d done for three years already. 

Robbie couldn't think of a better way to phrase it. “Aren’t you… a good liar?”

“I’m loyal to my Firelord.”

They digressed. “Zuko wishes me to tell you that if you’d rather… if you want to… leave the palace, leave the Fire Nation, he’d help you.” Would flattery help? Would talking trash about others help? Robbie didn’t have much experience in persuasion. “I know you’re a formidable firebender, but he, as big brothers do, thinks he could help protect you.”

“Hmm.” Azula adjusted her already-perfect hair as she considered it. “No.”

“Why?”

She looked at Robbie like they were a child. “One of us has to have honor.”

Robbie recalled something they’d read, and adapted it to the situation. Hopefully Azula understood proverbs. “Obeying the Firelord is as honorable as blood is beautiful.”

“Blood isn’t beautiful, it’s just red,” Azula said. 

“Then why does Firelord Ozai seem to enjoy spilling it so much?”

The ink on the letter to King Bumi had dried. Azula heated wax with her fingertips and pressed the Firelord’s seal to the letter. “You’d have to ask His Majesty.”

“Maybe I will.”

Azula stared into the fox’s eyes. They looked down, submissive like an animal, no hint of their supposed cosmic power displayed. “You shouldn’t. His time is even more valuable than mine.”

“Perhaps.” Robbie stepped back into the air, but stayed visible. “Zuko and the Avatar are allies now. If you and us work together, Firelord Ozai would not have the power to stop us. You’d be the safes-- most powerful firebender in the world. I have a plan, should you choose to accept it.”

“I do not require your assistance and am loyal to the Firelord.” It was incredible how Azula could make statements sound like scathing insults. 

“Think it over. I’m sure you have the cleverness to spare. I’ll return in a week.” Robbie remembered something. “If you’d like, if you agree to consider my plan, I know firebending techniques that haven’t been used in hundreds of years. I know precision lightning-bending, and I could teach you.”

“I already have firebending teachers. You should leave, Robin.”

“None of your firebending teachers are spirits.” Robbie bowed, though they couldn’t make the Fire Nation flame with their fox paws, and faded to invisibility. “One week. Agni be with you, your highness.”

Azula waved Robbie off just as a knock sounded at the door. “Come in,” she said with an attitude to rival Joo Dee.

The large door opened. The Firelord cast a shadow over Azula’s desk. “Who were you talking to?”

“A spirit with a grievance, Father.” Azula bowed. “I banished it. Your letters are right here.”

Robbie left the palace.


	8. Movement

Robbie found their body being airbended off of Appa. The bison had landed in a copse of trees and everyone else had dismounted. There was no aura of concern at the fact that Robbie had gone spontaneously unconscious and would not wake up. They tried not to mind.

Robbie stepped into their body and met pressure, like they had to press through gel to return. Panic jolted into them. They could see the eyelids of their human body flutter, but they weren’t fully in control yet.

Katara approached Robbie’s human body, hand wrapped in water, and pressed her hand to Robbie’s forehead. That seemed to open whatever was stopping Robbie from repossessing themself.

Robbie sat up on the grass. Their head was spinning, but they managed not to fall over. “Sorry, that took a little longer than I expected. So I guess you’ve found a market?”

“Yeah,” Sokka said, “some small town. It’s on the map, but just barely.”

“Oh, right.” Robbie had memorized the map. “Boscoville?”

Sokka nodded. Everyone but Appa and Momo started following him. 

The gaang soon found a hard-packed dirt road and followed a cabbage merchant into town. Zuko, Aang, and Robbie kept their hoods up. 

Zuko was a step behind the group. He may not be able to see auras, but he knew Katara was smoldering at him. It was his fault for almost calling her brother a peasant, and correcting himself with “dumbass,” of all things. Zuko was the real dumbass. Sokka wasn’t an angry person, but he hadn’t said a word to Zuko since Robbie told him that how Zuko got his scar was “classified”. Did that mean Robbie knew? They were a knowledge spirit. 

Could the Avatar earthbend yet? Zuko wished Aang would bury him on the spot, or preferably two hours ago. He couldn’t afford to antagonize the Water Tribe siblings. He sped up a bit, approaching Sokka on his left. “Uh. Sorry I called you a dumbass, that was stupid of me.”

“Hmm?” Had Sokka forgotten already? “Oh, yeah. Cool.” Sokka had no idea what to say. He’d expected the angry firebender to... keep being angry. He couldn’t very well say that it was fine, he didn’t like being insulted, but “I forgive you” sounded too serious. Could he get away with not saying anything more? He shrugged stressedly and hoped Zuko got the message.

Zuko did not get the message. Agni, being polite is hard. He’d just continue to avoid Sokka. 

The market wasn’t busy. There were no spices in the air, no criers, and no ostrich-horses stepping over people, just dirt roads and travelers. Everyone who was there acted the same as the gaang, like fugitives. Katara found a fruit stand and peeled off from the group to pick out the freshest ones. Sokka found a butcher’s shop and did the same. Zuko expertly haggled for camping supplies, blending right in with the peasants.

Aang waited until nobody was within earshot before he asked Robbie “Where did you go?”

“What?” Robbie saw a clothes shop and wondered if they could afford to buy an outfit that wasn’t all-black and scorched around the edges.

“I know that you left your body. Monk Gyatso told me that some airbenders could do that, but you’re not a bender. You’re not even human, but you have a body to leave, which is weird.”

“Oh, yeah. This body is… a rental? A while ago, more powerful knowledge spirits created it out of energy and pure stardust. Spirits use it for field research every couple hundred years. When it’s not in use it acts like… well, what it did earlier. Comalike.”

“Huh.” They reached the edge of the market and turned around. “Why didn’t you come back?”

“I don’t know. I think it might… get tired when I leave it too often? I think it has to get used to me being in it and coming back. So I shouldn’t leave it too often. Probably every other day is the limit.”

“When you can, could you teach me?”

They couldn't very well say no to him. “In theory, since you’re also a human body with an extra spirit, though in your case it’s the Avatar spirit, maybe?” Robbie twisted their hair as they thought. “I don’t think the Avatar spirit likes to be unbound the way I do, though, and you have a human spirit, which I don’t. I don’t know. I’ll try.”

“Could you ask the library?”

No innocent question could stop Robbie’s heart quite like that one. “No, not until I finish my project.”

“Oh.” 

“Do we have enough money to buy Earth Kingdom clothes? I don’t think wearing red like that would benefit Zuko, and wearing airbender clothes makes you… very recognizable.”

Aang glared at Robbie in a way that reminded Robbie that he was an incarnation of Raava. “I’m going to wear my airbender clothes.”

Robbie backed off. “Alright, we can do that in the Earth Kingdom.”

Zuko came up to Aang and Robbie. He held up a small purse of money. Aang’s eyes bugged out of his head. “Did you steal that?”

“No, I sold one of my knives.”

“One of them?”

Robbie smiled to themself. This incarnation of Raava did not yet know to properly disarm potential enemies. “Want to go shopping, Zuko?”

“We’re… in a market.”

“Right answer. I’m gonna link arms with you,” Robbie warned, hooked an arm around Zuko’s elbow, and led the both of them into a clothes shop. 

The only other person in the store, an elderly Earth Kingdom woman, asked “What are you two looking for?”

“Traveling clothes,” Robbie said.

She tied her apron. “Men’s or women’s?”

Robbie stared at the floor. The floor wasn’t that interesting, the wood was gray and dusty. “Men’s for him, and, uh,”

“Whichever’s cheaper for them,” Zuko finished. 

“Men’s section is on the right. It’s organized from smallest to largest,” she droned, like she was following a script.

“Thanks.” Robbie silently began judging the different styles of green. They wondered who had color-coded the nations. They picked out a tunic and pants at random and brought them to the splintered wooden counter. They looked back at Zuko, who was still considering every similar style. 

“Do you have scarves, or hats?” Robbie took their hood down for a second, showing their red-fox-colored hair. “An… accident with bleach,” they explained.

She smiled indulgently and directed Robbie to the women’s section, where the fabrics were leaf-patterned instead of flat green. They picked a sad, floppy hat, looking like they’d eaten a lemonlime the whole time.

“So, where are you two from?”

People today really had a knack for asking Robbie the wrong questions. “We’re, uh, travelers.” They racked their brain for a reason that normal Earth teens would be wearing what they were wearing. “We were in a circus once?”

She looked behind Robbie, out the shop’s open wax paper window, where Aang was waiting. “A group of traveling circus performers… and their monk.”

“We’re very spiritual,” Zuko lied from behind Robbie. “How much will these be?” She told him, he paid, and they left. 

“Circus performers?” Zuko asked. “Azula could lie better than that when she was four!”

“Having met Azula, I can confirm I’m not as good a liar as she is.”

“You did what?” Had there been nothing wrong with Zuko’s firebending, Robbie suspected he’d be spitting sparks. 

“She’s okay,” Robbie lied. “I’ll check up on her in a week.”

Katara waved them over to Sokka, Aang, and she, and Robbie took the opportunity to not explain further. They jogged over.

Katara had frozen the fresh groceries into ice blocks with waterbending. Robbie nearly fell over carrying their share, but did not complain. 

A boomerang expert, the only Southern waterbender, a banished prince, the Avatar, and an emotionally exhausted spirit staggered out of Boscoville, lugging frozen groceries and low-quality clothes in various states of fading from green. 

~

“Is there anything else we have to do right now?” Robbie asked, gently setting down their block of grocery ice. Their arms never hurt this much when they didn't have a body. Yet another design flaw of humanity.

Katara shrugged. “Rest, I guess, because we’re flying tonight.”

“Thank Agni.” Robbie must’ve picked up that phrase in the North Pole. They folded up their new hat like a pillow and collapsed. They weren’t sleeping, but they weren’t going to do anything else either. They picked at the grass with one hand. 

Aang sat down beside Robbie.

Robbie did not open their eyes. There was a rock digging into their back. “You’re gonna have to be quiet.” They didn’t have the energy to say the right thing if he tried to strike up a conversation. 

Shockingly, the twelve-year-old did not say anything. He put something in Robbie’s hand.

Robbie instinctively gripped whatever Aang had given them. It felt like a cylinder, and crinkled familiarly.

A scroll!

The grass Robbie had been pulling at met its gruesome end as they shot upright. They criscrossed their legs like a child at storytime and prepared to distract themself with whatever the scroll contained.

Something about the scroll was off. When Robbie held it, it felt like they were using both their hand and their fox paw. The temperature of the paper was indescribable, it had left the range of hot and cold and became merely soothing. It was neither heavy nor light.

Someone, or many someones, had loved this scroll until it had an aura of its own, not as strong as a human’s but stronger than Robbie's. 

Not ancient, secretive, or greedy, this scroll held the power that only a human could give, over the course of years. Innocence had been forced upon it like a crutch. 

“Did someone own this before?” Robbie asked reverently.

Aang tilted his head. “It was secondhand, yeah. Why?”

“It’s… holy.” Robbie began reading.

It was a collection of stories about past Avatars. Yangchen’s wisdom, Kuruk’s travels, Kyoshi’s power, and Roku’s volcano taming. No past avatar, it seemed, had anything on Aang. Becoming the Avatar at twelve, effectively mastering waterbending in a month with another child for a teacher, and getting a fire prince whose honor depended on capturing him to be his teacher was incredible. Not to mention that he allowed a minor spirit to stow away with his team and read a scroll like this one. 

Legendary.

Robbie finished the scroll by the time they had to help pack the bison. It wasn’t surprising, considering their feverish reading pace. Each tale of the past Avatars had wisdom, and they’d be damned before they disregarded it. 

Once everyone was on Appa, Sokka took out the map. He traced the route with a finger. “We should be in Gaoling by tomorrow evening.”

“Cool,” Aang said from the front of Appa. “Hey, Robbie, what’s my teacher like?”

“Toph is the best earthbender in the world. She’s blind, and learned seismic sense, or to use her connection to the earth through her feet in place of seeing, from badger moles. She fights professionally, and is known as the Blind Bandit.”

“That’s really neat, but I meant is she nice and stuff?”

Robbie hadn’t researched personalities. “She doesn’t have a criminal record?”

Zuko smirked. “That makes one of us.”

“We’re not criminals,” Katara argued. 

“Destruction of property, the cabbage stand, and using fake identities in Omashu, remember, June Pippinpaddalopsocopolis the third?” Sokka said. He crossed his arms and nodded in some imitation of coolness. “Yeah, we’re bad.”

Robbie could name several more crimes, but didn’t. 

Appa chose that moment to fly straight through a cloud, lightly drenching everyone but Aang, who was already encased in wind. Katara waterbent her and Sokka’s clothes dry with ease. Robbie just waited to dry off. 

Robbie could feel Zuko’s aura as he tried to summon his breath of fire. It flickered in a way that a bender’s should not. Robbie and Zuko shared a silent conversation in a few Looks, which went as follows.

Zuko: “Any idea what in Koh’s cave is going on?”

Robbie: “Still no, sorry.”

Zuko: “This sucks.”

Robbie: “Yeah. Sorry.” 

Robbie said, out loud, “Zuko, could you hold my jacket for me?” 

“Uh, sure.” He took their jacket from them and surreptitiously put it over his shoulders. 

“Aren’t you a firebender?” Katara said.

Robbie, half-truthing through their oddly sharp teeth, said “Firebenders get cold faster when they’re not in warm weather because they’re used to the Fire Nation climate, and they use much of their heat for their inner fire.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Zuko confirmed lamely.

Katara didn’t think that sounded right, but she didn’t know enough about firebending to argue. 

The next morning, Appa landed outside of Gaoling. The city wasn’t the biggest, but it had an aura, and Robbie could feel all sorts of people in it. They could safely say that it was not a place for spirits.

As they set up tents, Robbie remarked to Sokka “You know, if I’m attacked by a bender or someone armed, and it's life-or-death, I could just possess them, but if I’m attacked by multiple nonbenders, possessing one would just leave my own body undefended. So… I think I need to learn how to fight. Could you teach me?”

Sokka stuck a tent pole in the rocky ground and grinned. “Of course.”

“Don’t give them the ‘Without courage, how can we call ourselves men’ speech you gave to the toddlers,” Katara snickered. 

“Why would I? They don’t even call themself a man.”

Katara squared herself up, playfully mocking. “Get in formation, men.” She then shrunk down, pretending to be a little kid. “But I gotta pee.” Back to the Sokka pose “There are no potty breaks in battle!.” She laughed.

“I did not act like that!” 

“Yeah,” Aang said, sliding down Appa’s tail, “you sort of did. It was funny, though.”

“Training future Water Tribe warriors isn’t funny!” 

Katara and Aang just looked at each other.

Sokka stuck out his tongue. “Come on, Robbie.” He started clearing sticks and pointy rocks from a circle of land taller in diameter than 1.5 Robbies. Robbie helped. A pinecone pricked their hand and they vowed to enact revenge on it. Once that was done, Sokka asked “Do you still have that expensive knife with the rubies?”

“Yep.” Robbie reached for it, but Sokka held up a hand.

“Put it to the side,” he said. “Also, take off your shoes so if you kick me I don't, like, die.”

Robbie shrugged and did so. 

“Do you know how to punch someone?”

“There’s… a right way?”

Sokka bit back his surprise. Didn’t everyone know that, at least? “Yeah. Make a fist.”

Robbie squeezed their left hand together and showed Sokka. “Like this?”

“Not quite.” Sokka took Robbie’s malformed fist and moved their thumb to the outside. “And you aim to hit with your first two fingers, because your pinky can and will break like a tortured carrot, and Katara will laugh at you.”

“Alright.” Robbie felt their fist. It did seem more powerful.

“Now that you know that, don’t do it,” Sokka advised.

“Why?”

“Because you won’t get in a fistfight. Fistfights are for people who start fights for fun. If someone attacks you, they’re gonna hit you first.”

Robbie was glad to know that, though they took the initiative to do their project, with all that entailed, nobody expected them to take the initiative to start a fight. It really showed how much confidence they projected. 

“Move slowly for now, alright?” Sokka said. 

Robbie nodded. 

“What do you do if someone hits you?” Sokka deliberately made a fist, aimed it at Robbie’s face, stepped forward, and punched in slow motion. 

Robbie flinched downward, threw both hands in front of their face, and caught Sokka’s slow-moving fist.

“Protecting your face is good, everyone has a plan until they get hit in the face, but if someone really wanted to hit you, you wouldn’t be strong enough to catch their fist, and likely if you could run you’d have already. So what _can _you stop?” Sokka winded his arm back again.__

__Robbie looked at Sokka like a puzzle, stepped forward at the same time he did, and put both their hands inside his bicep. “Like that?”_ _

__“Yes!” Robbie learned much more intuitively than a toddler did. Sokka was glad. “What next?”_ _

__“Aim for the throat?”_ _

__Sokka blinked. “I mean, you could. But no. The instinctive thing to do is step back.”_ _

__“Good thing I don’t have instincts.”_ _

__“The power in a hit comes from going forward, sort of like how you can’t swordfight in a small room. They won’t have the right leverage if you get closer.”_ _

__Get closer. Robbie twisted their elbow around Sokka’s bicep, pinned his arm behind his back, and put one leg behind his, pressed so close they could hear his steady breathing. “I could push you over now.” They pressed their knee into his knee._ _

__“If all of my weight was on the leg you don’t have, you could. But try.”_ _

__Robbie pushed into Sokka, but he stayed upright to prove his point. “Yes, I couldn’t push you over in the time frame I’d have,” Robbie concluded._ _

__Sokka stepped around Robbie, unwinding the arm that they’d had pinned. “You have my wrist in your hand.”_ _

__Robbie looked at their hand. It was, in fact, holding Sokka’s wrist. It pulsed with a heartbeat. They made sure their nails did not dig into his soft skin. Foxes fought with claws, humans did not. “Yep.”_ _

__Sokka pressed against Robbie’s fingers. “This side of your hand is too strong, if I fought like this you’d have me. But if I go against your thumb, that’s only one finger against my whole arm. So.” He swiped his arm down and was free._ _

__“Could I try that?”_ _

__Sokka grabbed Robbie’s wrist. They squirmed and jerked their arm around before they got out. They tried again, two times, before they figured out exactly where the thumb was weakest._ _

__“Good job,” Sokka said. “So, what do you do if someone pushes you down?” He put one hand in front of his face, ducked down, and grabbed Robbie’s ankle. Robbie windmilled their arms and fell on their bum._ _

__Zuko had been lurking in the trees’ shade, as he did. “You fell wrong.”_ _

__“You want to join?” Sokka challenged, grinning at the prospect of teaching an already-military-trained boy that had nearly killed him on several occasions. Maybe just at the prospect of ordering him around. “Shoes and weapons over there, no firebending.”_ _

__Robbie and Zuko shared another Look at the mention of firebending. Zuko took off his boots and piled a frankly excessive amount of blades, including his dao swords, on top of Robbie’s expensive knife._ _

__“So, how do you fall?” Zuko copied Sokka’s grab-the-ankle-move and Sokka rolled to the side, landing face-down on two elbows and one bent knee. “That’s better than Robbie, but you’re not protecting your head.” Zuko showed how he could kick Sokka’s head, neck, or side._ _

__“Okay, smartass,” Sokka said and stood up, brushing pine needles off of his arms. Without warning, he pushed Zuko over. Zuko landed forward, on elbows and knees, and immediately sat up straight._ _

__“And how do you get up?” Zuko asked Robbie._ _

__Robbie shrugged and put their hands forward so they could get their feet under them. They hadn’t even moved their knees when Zuko shook his head._ _

__“Again. Your, uh, opponent can still kick you in the head.”_ _

__“Right.” Robbie moved their elbow up and held their hand up near their forehead like they were inefficiently shading their eyes. They made sure their fingers were not in the shape of an L._ _

__“Tuck your chin in.”_ _

__Robbie felt stupid, but did so. Now that one arm was up, it was intuitive to lean forward and sweep one leg around so they got up smoothly._ _

__“Good,” Zuko said._ _

__It occurred to Sokka that it was sort of weird for a firebending prince to know two nonbending ways to avoid getting kicked in the face._ _

__“What next?” Robbie asked._ _

__Zuko shrugged. “Run away?”_ _

__Yeah, Sokka thought, that’s weird. He doesn’t seem like a run-away kind of guy. He crossed his arms, trying to regain control of the lesson. “I’m trying to teach them what to do if they can’t run away, so.”_ _

__“Hmm, okay. Then I’d say firebend, but.”_ _

__“How about you keep lurking until you see another thing to improve upon?” Robbie suggested genuinely._ _

__“Sure. I’ll do that.” Zuko scooted to the edge of the cleared space._ _

__“So,” Sokka said, now back in control of the lesson, “what do you do when you’re not fast enough to stand up?” Robbie took the hint and got back on the ground. Sokka got on top of them and pressed his hands on their shoulders. “I could hold you down for a little while, or maybe choke you, but you’re actually in control here.”_ _

__Robbie looked up at Sokka, who was thoroughly pinning them to the ground. He had something in his teeth. “How?”_ _

__Sokka twisted around and grabbed Robbie’s leg, and put it around his waist. “If you put your legs around me, you control where I go.”_ _

__Robbie put their legs around Sokka and hooked their ankles around each other for good measure._ _

__“If I were attacking you, I’d probably be pressing forward.” Sokka tried to get to his knees and move forward, but Robbie was blocking him with their legs. “Since I can’t do that, we call this the guard position.”_ _

__“Okay.”_ _

__“My best bet is still to choke you.” Sokka grabbed Robbie’s collar with one hand and hooked his arm around their neck. His head was flat against Robbie’s chest. “Now, we’re at an impasse, because you control me and I’m close to you. So you don’t want me to keep choking you.”_ _

__Sokka’s hand was digging into Robbie’s neck, not quite hard enough to leave a mark but enough to reduce their oxygen intake to a solid 75 percent. “No, I don’t.”_ _

__“By the way, if something hurts, say ‘tap’ if you can, and tap me. That's how you forfeit.”_ _

__“Good to know,” they said shortly._ _

__“You also don’t want me on top of you, so push me to one side and curl like a shrimp to the other.”_ _

__Robbie twisted to their side, one side of their face pressed into the dirt, and shoved Sokka off of them. Then, they crawled on top of Sokka and stayed forward and close so he couldn’t put Robbie into his guard position, switching their positions. He made a square frame with his arms so that Robbie couldn’t reach his neck. That didn’t seem fair. “What now?”_ _

__Sokka thought about it. “I could do this.” He put both feet on the ground and arched his back off the ground, which almost pushed Robbie off of him. “This is called bridging, because you turn your body into the curve of a bridge, if the ground is the metaphorical river.”_ _

__Robbie put their knees far apart to keep their balance and kept holding Sokka down. “Since you’re doing that thing with your arms and your chin is tucked in, I can’t choke you.”_ _

__“Pretty much. If I were wearing leather or a stiff cotton, you could choke me with my collar, but that would be giving me both of your arms.”_ _

__“What can you do with my arms?”_ _

__Sokka bridged again. He shrimped to the side, took Robbie’s hand with his elbow, and put his feet across their body so he was perpendicular to their head. Sokka held Robbie’s hand, thumb up, in the center of his chest. “If I bridged like this…”_ _

__Robbie could already feel the pressure on their elbow. “My arm would break.”_ _

__“It’s like a game of water, earth, air, and fire. Leg muscles beat arm bone, arm beats thumb but not fingers, though finger holds aren’t allowed unless the referee is cool, stiff collar beats neck, foot beats head, head beats pinky finger,” Sokka explained. “Masters can fold people twice as big as them like laundry.”_ _

__Robbie’s arm still felt like it was going to snap off, muscles stretching from their thumb to their bicep. They tapped Sokka. “Tap,” they said._ _

__“Oh, right.” Sokka let go of their arm. “So, I think you’re ready for… nothing.”_ _

__That was fair. Robbie was slow. Still, they knew they could improve with practice, even though such a human skill would never count as one of their 10,000 things. It was still worth learning._ _

__"Thanks, Sifu Sokka."_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you can guess what “A group of traveling circus performers and their monk” “we’re very spiritual” is referencing, you get, idk, a free ticket to Hell. If you want a hint, ask, though you’d be opening Pandora’s urn. Fun fact: a lemon is already a hybrid plant, an orange-citron, so technically lemonlimes would not need to exist in the Avatar universe. When life gives you lemons, some weird farmer must've bred them. Huh.  
> I know that the plot is moving a little slowly. Gaoling will fix this, don’t worry. In case you’re wondering, the fighting style Sokka is teaching Robbie is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which probably wouldn’t exist in the Avatar universe, but is pretty cool. In it, hitting is not allowed, and you win by putting your opponent in a hold that’s uncomfortable enough for them to forfeit, like wrestling.  
> Anyways, you're welcome for this longer chapter. I hope you enjoyed it! :)


	9. It's Just Red

_Then why does Ozai enjoy spilling it so much? ___

__The spirit’s words sucked at Azula’s mind like an elbow leech. Azula knew that spirits were not to be ignored. She’d been the one to read over Zhao’s reports of the failed North Pole attack. If she disobeyed the spirits, the whole nation could pay the consequences. If she disobeyed the Firelord, she might not live to become the most powerful firebender in the world. But she might._ _

__Princess Azula did not procrastinate. She did not deliberate like a low-ranking court official. When she decided to act, she did not wait. She planned._ _

__There were two letters on her desk._ _

__Azula did not need backup, but a respectable young woman always traveled with companions. If those companions happened to be elite warriors and Azula’s only childhood friends, all the better._ _

__The first letter was easy to write. It was addressed to Lady Mai, the Governor's Mansion, New Ozai, Earth Kingdom. Mai kept her cards close to her chest, but so did everyone Azula knew. Azula had no need for pretenses of frivolity. It was almost freeing._ _

___Mai,  
I’m sure you’re bored out of your mind in the drab Earth Kingdom. I’m writing with news of my brother and uncle. I have learned that they turned traitor. The Avatar captured Zuzu instead, isn’t that ironic? The spirits have asked me to review the current management of the Fire Nation and their relations to the Avatar. It’s an exciting task, which might lead us to encounter Zuzu. If you’d like to join me on this vacation, await my messenger in Ba Sing Se.   
Regards,  
Crown Princess Azula ____ _

____Azula reached for the Firelord’s seal, then _did not _hesitate. She shuffled some papers on her perfectly organized desk aside. Her own seal was under them. The hot wax was stamped with a small dragon circling around the classic fire symbol instead of her father’s phoenix stamp. That sent a message of its own, which Azula did not care to interpret.___ _ _ _

______The other letter was addressed to Miss Ty Lee, Caldera Circus, Fire Nation. It only had the words Dear Ty Lee on it. Azula did not brush her perfect bangs out of her face, lean her elbows on her desk, and groan. That would be improper. Ty Lee was just impossible. She kept her cards so close to her that Azula couldn’t even tell what game she was playing._ _ _ _ _ _

______At least she’d written letters._ _ _ _ _ _

______Azula had dedicated a whole section of her desk to Ty Lee’s games after the spirit’s visit. The letters Ty Lee had written Azula were stacked neatly, and beside the stack was a notepad with notes on each letter. As Azula didn’t do things in half measures, there were also theatre scrolls that she’d surreptitiously borrowed from the library. Bright paper tabs marked each scene where friends spoke to each other. With all this research on tone, etiquette, and content, one letter should not be so hard to write. And yet._ _ _ _ _ _

______You couldn’t threaten someone into treachery. If Azula insulted or obviously manipulated Ty Lee, Ty Lee could just report it, and Azula would be caught. And Azula couldn’t be genuine, because threats _were _genuine.___ _ _ _ _ _

________This was a negotiation in which Azula did not have the upper hand._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________But Azula could lie, and so acting shouldn’t be too hard. Azula was always perfect, so she’d be perfect at this.  
 _  
Dear Ty Lee,  
I can’t believe it’s so long since I wrote to you. I’ve been so busy at home, since Father is letting me handle most of his correspondence. You’re much easier to write to than all the old men I have to negotiate with, trust me. Of course, I’ve learned a lot from the work, I wonder if you’d recognize me now. _____ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________There. A friendly introduction, an excuse for not writing, a promise that Azula acted more responsibly than she had when the girls were little.  
 _  
I read all your letters. You seem really happy at the circus. I wish I could be so satisfied with such a routine. Have you mastered the handspring-vault-double front flip that you were working on a few months ago? It seems like an impressive move. What new moves have you invented? _____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Complimentary small talk, while quietly planting the seed that being in a circus for months and months is boring. Very quietly. It was like threading a haystack with fire. Now, for the real contents of the letter.  
 _  
Spirits visit the palace sometimes, but none are as novel as the knowledge-messenger called Robin that seeked me out ereyesterday. They, like you, seem to be very perceptive to auras, and enjoy travel. For some reason, they had determined that I needed an update on Zuzu’s misadventures. Apparently, my brother has been captured by the Avatar. As they say, how the turntables. It is quite unfortunate that retired General Iroh is unable to rescue him. Normally, I would trust Zuzu to get himself out of this situation, but you know him. It would be in alignment with his luck if he got tricked into serving the Avatar. I have decided to rescue him before any more of his honor slips away.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________I have asked for Mai’s help with this. You would also be invaluable, as Mai and I have more lethal styles of defense, and not every sour situation calls for such a thing. You’re also just nice to be around._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________If you’d like to be Ty Lee, the girl who saved the Prince from the Avatar, as well as Ty Lee, the best acrobat in the world, you should meet me outside of Caldera as soon as you can, and I will be forever grateful._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________Love,  
Crown Princess Azula ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Azula didn’t reread the lie-filled letter. She set it aside for the ink to dry and would seal it as soon as she could._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Azula would have to get a shirshu-raven to track down General Iroh. That would take some effort. She sighed and began writing.  
 _  
Uncle,  
The knowledge spirit Robin has visited me with news of my brother. I have not yet passed on this news to the Firelord. I am, frankly, shocked that you have not retrieved Zuko from the Avatar yet, though I understand your actions. I will not disrespect my elders and work against you. I may be in Ba Sing Se soon, if you’d like to have a cup of tea together.   
Crown Princess Azula _____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Azula did not want to have a cup of tea with Iroh. She didn’t want to speak with the only man who underestimated her twice. She didn’t even like tea. But she knew that if she didn’t have the Firelord on her side, she needed the next best thing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________She sealed Ty Lee’s letter with her personal seal. The dragon on it seemed to judge her. Mai and Ty Lee’s letters would be sent with the swiftest fire falcons. Uncle’s was sent with a shirshu-raven._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________She set the theatre scrolls and her notes back in a drawer where nobody would look at them twice. Her stamp went back in its place, and the Firelord’s went next to the inkwell. The place of honor._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________She checked her hair and collar and ventured out into the palace. She had an appointment with the Firelord._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Servants ducked their heads and moved faster when they saw their Princess, playing charades of obedience, as if they didn’t know she heard every whisper shared in their little clusters. She couldn’t blame them. From the moment Robin invaded Azula’s office, she’d been playing a charade. In truth, she’d been playing long before them. An actress, just like her mother._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________A bit of her disgust at the thought must have shown. The new server, Kuzon, saw her and scuttled like a mouse-roach spotted by a cat-lizard. Neither of them could afford to lose their positions._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________The doors to the Firelord’s hall stared down at Azula. She hadn’t been intimidated by them since she was four, though they still seemed just as tall. Dragons and phoenixes were carved in every inch of the doors. Azula waited._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________A servant passing by opened the doors for her and announced her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________The columns, tall as angry spirits, framed Azula as she walked forward, every soft step echoing with a cringe. The snapping hush of sparks announced the Firelord before his silhouette, behind the wall of fire, did._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Azula kneeled and bowed to her father. She waited, staring at the hard tile floor, for permission to rise. It was granted._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I know that it is my job to banish spirits, and I do so, as you command,” Azula said. No matter how much she tried to deepen and age her voice, she still sounded soft in this room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Then why have you interrupted me?” Firelord Ozai sounded more dangerous than the fire that guarded him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“One spirit came to give me information. They-- I mean it-- told me that Zuko is alive and plans to train the Avatar.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________The fire flared, as did Azula’s fear. “What?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I will handle the situation. I forced the spirit to reveal to me Zuko’s location. I have written to Lady Mai and Ty Lee as travel companions and reinforcements. Once I am finished, we will not need to worry about Zuko or the Avatar, and the war will end. I need your permission to take a ship and be away from the palace for, at most, a month.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You may.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Thank you, your majesty.” Azula bowed once more and turned to leave. She counted her steps. Too slowly, and she was wasting time. Too quickly, and she was suspicious. She erred on the side of speed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________It was some of the worst lying she’d ever done. Her voice had faltered, she hadn’t had good posture, she hadn’t elaborated, and the Firelord hadn’t asked her to.  
The mission that Azula proposed to him, killing the Avatar and her brother in less than a month, would be dangerous, even deadly. Tactically, two teenage girls were not sufficient reinforcements for such a mission. Of course, Azula would make it work, because she was a prodigy, but for anyone else it would be near impossible. And there was no way the Firelord knew all of Azula’s capabilities, he hadn’t watched her train or perform in years. He didn’t have time. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________If the Firelord didn’t know that Azula could do this, but let her anyway… did he just not care?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can have alittle Azula pov, as a treat. (I know that Azula signed her letter to Ty Lee “Love,” but we’re not shipping them until they both get their prescribed character development. Thank u for coming to my ted talk). :)


	10. What Happens In Gaoling

Warning: a little homophobia, nothing too bad, just some repeating of propaganda, from “I guess Kyoshi isn’t quite Earth, as the Avatar, but.” to the end of the chapter. 

Katara found Aang teaching Zuko how to avoid a hit by jumping straight over his opponent, Robbie rolling on the ground, trying and failing to do several different types of arm bars on Sokka, who was in turn threatening Zuko with his boomerang. There were at least seven bladed weapons in a woodpile-style stack off to the side. It was, all in all, a chaotic scene. 

Robbie noticed Katara first. They let go of Sokka and sat up straight, trying to fix their hair, collar, and shoes all at once. “Sorry for trying to break your brother’s arm.”

“It’s fine,” Katara said. “You know, my Gran-Gran taught me a couple moves.” She offered Robbie a hand. They took it and picked themself up. “Protip, if a man mistakes you for a woman and is acting weird, knee him like this. If you do it hard enough, his behavior won’t run in his family.”

Robbie studied Katara’s form. It didn’t look like anything adapted from waterbending. “Oh, cool. Sokka said that kneeing and hitting wasn’t allowed.”

“That’s because he’s a wimp. You can also smash an attacker’s nose like this.” Katara pressed on Robbie’s nose with the heel of her hand. Robbie went cross eyed. They still weren’t quite used to having a nose without fox whiskers.

“Good to know, thanks.” Robbie gently smacked Katara’s hand away from their face.

“Boys,” Katara yelled, “chill out.”

Aang released Zuko from a mini-tornado. Zuko landed on his feet like a catlizard. He didn’t seem mad. He wasn’t even breathing fire. Over on the ground was Sokka, who was re-tying his wolftail with one hand, perfectly serene except for the boomerang he was brandishing in the other. 

“They seem chilled out to me,” Robbie said. “Believe me, their auras are never this quiet.”

At some point, Katara would ask what in the world an aura was. Now was not the time. She made several water whips, with which she soaked all of the dirt out of everyone’s clothes. “We have to look presentable when we meet Sifu Beifong.” 

“You’re right,” Aang said. “Hey, Robbie, where’s your hat?”

Robbie hadn’t remembered the stupid green flowery thing until that moment. It was next to their shoes, looking a bit like a poverty-stricken snakeskin. They brushed the dirt off and put the hat on, tucking their slightly sweaty hair underneath it.

“You kinda look like the paintings of the ancient air nuns,” Aang said. He reached up and adjusted the brim of Robbie’s hat. Robbie scooted back politely, unused to having the Avatar’s spindly hands suddenly in their face.

Great. Not only was Robbie hiding their red hair, one of the only things they kept from their fox form, they’d look like a nun while doing it. 

Katara waterbent a small disk of ice and offered it to Robbie.

Robbie examined their reflection in the ice. They didn’t look like themself, but at least they looked good? Their face was somehow both round and sharp, and their lips were red from biting them with their canine teeth. There were new freckles on their pointy nose. Their eyebrows were intimidatingly bushy, but the lower half of their face was pale as the moon and similarly cratered with acne. And their fiery hair was entirely hidden. “Thanks.”

The group made their way into Gaoling. It was a large town, full of merchants and people walking very fast. Robbie wished the gaang could hold hands to avoid being separated. As it was, they were being spun like a top by the crowds. 

“Get your fresh cabbages here!” 

“Young lady, would you like to buy some jewelry?” 

“Come see the new play on Wideway!”

Robbie sidestepped everyone, just like Aang had shown them in combat training. When a particularly aggressive jewelry merchant dressed as a monk tried to put a necklace right on them, they circled around Zuko so the merchant ended up staring up into a pair of flint-gold eyes. He did not attempt to sell the Fire Prince the trinket. 

Aang latched onto Robbie’s arm after they almost got separated from the group by a woman who assumed that they were playing hooky, and they had forgotten their limited experience in lying. “Which way are we going?” he asked.

“We don’t need to ask for directions,” Sokka said.

Katara stopped a nice-looking mother and her children. “Pardon me, ma’am, but do you know where the Beifong mansion is?”

“Right up Main Street,” the mother said, and pointed. “What do you kids need to do with the Beifongs?”

“That’s classified,” Zuko said politely. “Thanks for the directions.”

“You’re welcome. Now, don’t get into trouble.”

“Of course not,” Katara said. “We’ll be on our way now.” She put one hand on Sokka’s back and one hand on Aang’s. The gaang hurried away before they could be recognized. 

The Beifong mansion loomed over Main Street just like the palace loomed over Caldera, but on a smaller scale. It had columns and the Earth Kingdom symbol on its facade. High-quality green paint decorated it in expensive patterns. Zuko had thought that wealth would look different in another nation, but the only difference was the colors and symbols that were used. At least he’d know how to act. “This is where Sifu Beifong lives?” Zuko confirmed with Robbie.

Robbie nodded.

Zuko found the knocker, shaped like a badgermole head, and used it. The sound echoed like a tiny battering ram. “I speak three languages: normal, Fire High Court, and Rich. Except for Aang, let me do the talking.”

The door was opened by a stiff-looking butler. He looked down his nose at the gaang. 

“Good afternoon,” Zuko said with a bow. “This is the Avatar.”

Aang did his airbending marble trick, and then did the same with water.

The butler didn’t even look surprised, though there was no way he could have known Aang was coming. “And the rest of you?”

“Aang’s bending teachers. I’m--” Zuko looked at Robbie.

“I’m Robin, a knowledge spirit, and this is Kuzon, Katara, and Sokka,” Robbie lied choppily. “We’re here to visit Lady Toph and hope to learn some insight on earthbending from her because of her unconventional approach to it.” 

“Come in.” The butler waved the gaang into the parlor with distaste. It was decorated ostentatiously, with draperies and such on every inch of wall that wasn’t flawless glass windows. In every corner was an expensive vase with expensive plants in it. Aang spotted a venus flytrap and wanted very much to poke it. The furniture was all green and not faded one bit, and organized into a clear pattern within markings on the painted tile floor. That was probably so Toph didn’t run into randomly moved furniture. Once the butler shut the door behind them, he said “Lady Toph does not have many visitors.” 

“As a knowledge spirit, I understand the need for privacy,” Robbie lied. They thought knowledge should be shared by anyone with the right to it. Lady Toph had no need for secrecy. “I would not be intruding on your time were it not essential for the Avatar.”

“Robbie,” Aang whispered, “I thought you said she was a famous professional fighter. Why does it sound like she’s a secret?”

Robbie smiled tightly.

“I will go inform the Beifongs of your… unexpected visit. Would you like some tea while you wait?”

“Yes, thank you,” Zuko said. He wasn’t that mad that Robbie completely took over his rich-person act. But he had prepared a couple of lines, and they had gone to waste. 

As soon as the butler left, Aang giggled “That was so cool! He was all fancy-”

“Like, sir,” Sokka bowed to Aang, who bowed back, and their foreheads collided in an overenthusiastic copy of politeness. “Ma’am,” he bowed to Katara, “Sir,” to Zuko, “Tha’am,” to Robbie.

“Tha’am isn’t a word,” said a little girl in a patterned green-and-white dress, who had just appeared out of nowhere. Everyone jumped. Aang may have flown a couple feet in the air. “Well, how am I supposed to know if you guys see me?” She leaned on the doorway, completely in her turf, if not her element.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Katara said. “I think we’re here to talk to your mother?”

“I heard you say you were looking for Lady Toph. I’m Lady Toph. And my mom isn’t a bender.” Toph sat primly on a chair, keeping her bare feet flat on the tile. 

“Robin,” Katara said, “You didn’t tell us that she was, like, ten.”

“I’m twelve,” Toph corrected. “Also a better earthbender than anyone except maybe the badgermoles themselves.”

Robbie shrugged. “She’s qualified.” Age wasn’t a major factor in the spirit world, as birth and death themselves were muddled, but they guessed they should have realized that twelve was young. Well, too bad. There wasn’t time to find another teacher. 

“We are not taking another twelve-year-old on an assasination mission,” Sokka said, trying to use the voice his father had when he made decisions as chief. The squeak his voice made on _assasination _ruined it. Before Aang could say anything, he continued “Aang is the Avatar, he gets Avatar age-wisdom.”__

__“What, do you think you can’t protect me,” Toph sneered._ _

__“I was banished at twelve, or maybe thirteen,” Zuko said. Of course, without Uncle he would’ve died, but… “I don’t see the problem here.”_ _

__“You’re… not lying,” Toph said. “You’re gonna have to tell me that whole story later. Anyway, you guys want me to come with you, teach the Avatar, and murder the Firelord, ending the war?”_ _

__“Hopefully, yes,” Robbie said._ _

__“No,” Katara said._ _

__Toph ignored Katara, pretending to adjust her headband. “The war has messed up the economy. It stresses my parents out. I’ll do it.”_ _

__“You’re twelve,” Katara repeated._ _

__“How about you teach me some good earthbending tips and tricks now, and we decide whether or not you should come with us later, like after tea?” Aang suggested._ _

__Speak of Vaatu, the butler returned with a pot of tea and some tiny sandwiches. “The Beifongs unfortunately cannot meet with you this afternoon. You could schedule an appointment…”_ _

__Toph smirked. “One Beifong actually _could _meet with them.”___ _

____“Miss Toph, you’re not supposed to meet with strangers without your parents.” The butler poured tea disapprovingly._ _ _ _

____Toph waved a hand in the air lazily. “The Avatar isn’t gonna kidnap me or anything, it’s fine.”_ _ _ _

____It was a really good thing the butler was not a truth-seer._ _ _ _

____Toph sipped her tea and grimaced. How did a blind girl know how to do puppy-kitten eyes? “It’s too hot. Could you pleeease make tea that isn’t nuclear?”_ _ _ _

____Zuko may have lost most of his firebending, but he could still tell how hot Toph’s tea was from across the too-big room. For obvious reasons, he knew exactly what temperature burned. Toph would make an excellent court official (a liar)._ _ _ _

____The butler bowed and left the room again. As soon as he was out of earshot, Toph threw back her tea like a shot. “So, Twinkletoes, come with me to the gardens. Fireboy and Watergirl, if you want some general bending tips or have some suggestions on how to teach an airbender, you too. Boomerang, Guru, you guys leave.”_ _ _ _

____It was insulting and astonishing how everybody knew who was who._ _ _ _

____“I haven’t started teaching Aang yet,” Zuko said, “so I guess I’ll go with Sokka and Robbie.”_ _ _ _

____“You’re really gonna leave me alone with Sweetness and Twinkletoes? Huh.” Toph punched Zuko in the arm and felt his bones go rigid. “Take those tiny sandwiches when you go,” she said by way of apology. She was pretty sure firebenders burned calories in the literal sense, so he’d appreciate the gift._ _ _ _

____Sokka, Robbie, and Zuko got up and left, taking the tiny sandwiches with them._ _ _ _

____Sokka found a less-crowded way back outside town so he could talk and be heard. “Why didn’t you stay to teach Aang, Zuko?”_ _ _ _

____“Uh,” Robbie said._ _ _ _

____Sokka shot Robbie a quick glare. “I didn’t ask you.”_ _ _ _

____“Sorry.”_ _ _ _

____“I’m not trying to pry or anything, but you’re a firebender, and you haven’t been firebending, and you’re acting like you and Robbie have a secret. So. I’m prying. What’s up?” Sokka demanded. He narrowly avoided running into a cabbage stand while focusing on Zuko._ _ _ _

____“Somethingswrongwithmyfirebending,” Zuko mumbled. He stared at the rough, old cobblestones._ _ _ _

____“What was that?” Sokka said._ _ _ _

____“Something. Is. Wrong. With. My. Firebending.” Zuko enunciated clearly, like a military report of defeat. If there hadn’t been Earth Kingdom people all around, he would’ve yelled. “Ever since the North Pole, it’s been getting weaker. I _don’t _know why, so don’t ask.”___ _ _ _

______“Huh. Magic fire is just as weird as magic water. Makes sense.” Sokka was a little suspicious that he was faking it so he didn’t have to train Aang, who he’d previously been trying to capture, but the guy was a bad liar. He definitely _sounded _frustrated. And the spirit was backing him up. Sokka was yet to build a profile on whether or not he should trust Robbie, but whatever. “Let’s stay on the lookout for any knowledge of firebending we come across, maybe in the Fire Nation we’ll find some answers. Robbie said we should pass by Sun Warrior Island, right?”___ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yes.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Sokka pointed the three of them out of Gaoling and towards the campsite. The city’s cracked cobblestones ran out, to be replaced with a packed-dirt road and unofficial dusty trails leading Tui knew where. They were lucky Sokka was there to navigate._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The sort of silence that made one wish to talk about the weather fell between them. Robbie tried very hard to think of something else. The only thing they could come up with was “Who’s your favorite Avatar?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Aang, obviously,” Sokka said, “but I think Kuruk is cool.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Kuruk was lazy,” Zuko argued. “Kyoshi is the best, she got stuff done, even if some of that stuff was wrong.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Sokka wanted to defend his tribe’s avatar, but was willing to just vibe check the metaphorical platypus-bear with an offhand “She stopped colonizers.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah.” Zuko’s research on the past Avatars was kicking in, hundreds of yuans spent on scrolls that were, likely as not, fakes. “She put in a police system and cultural order.” Police and order, two things the Fire Nation approved of._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“It didn’t work out quite like she’d planned,” Robbie said, “but it was cool. And there was Rangi.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The three of them were subconsciously walking faster through the woods now that they had a good conversation topic. Robbie wondered how long this would last. The evergreen trees were taller and closer together the further they got, foreboding shadows stretching in the afternoon sun._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Rangi,” Zuko said. “She was Azula and I’s hero, she could white firebend. Though she didn’t have much honor since she helped Kyoshi learn from outlaws--”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Wait, wait, wait. I’ve wanted to ask this for, like, years,” Sokka exaggerated. “What is honor? I get the concept, it’s good, but you talk about it like it’s a game score. Is it different in the Fire Nation?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________It appeared that the good conversation would last exactly this long. Fifty-three seconds, give or take. Robbie didn’t have a minuteglass._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Zuko thought about Sokka’s question, staring into the distance like a protagonist. “Honor isn’t exactly a score, but you can gain and lose it. Being a general with many victories is honorable, for example, and breaking the law and/or disrespecting the Firelord would be dishonorable.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“So I don’t have any honor,” Sokka said gleefully. “Cool.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“It’s different if you’re not Fire Nation, I guess. So, Rangi was honorable because of her military training and firebending skills, but dishonorable for choosing her Earth Kingdom best friend and daofei outlaws instead of her nation,” Zuko explained. “I guess Kyoshi isn’t quite Earth, as the Avatar, but.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Robbie stopped dead. “Did you just call Kyoshi Rangi’s _best friend _?” They giggled. Sure, as a spirit they didn’t experience human attraction, but they definitely knew “they were in love.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh.” Zuko blinked. “Then I guess Rangi didn’t have any honor. Too bad. I hope Azula doesn't still talk about her, then.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Sokka didn’t know that much about history, but he did know that the whole Fire-Nationalism thing started in Roku’s time, not Kyoshi’s. “I think I’m lost. Not on the path, camp’s this way, but I mean. What’s wrong with Rangi being with an Earth Kingdom girl?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Everyone stopped walking, which paralleled the conversation nicely. Zuko said, as if it meant something, “Rangi and Kyoshi are. Both women?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Now, girls are great. Every single one of them, and sometimes the engaged ones, too.” Sokka did finger guns and immediately regretted it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Robbie made a mental note to check up on Princess Yue the next time they could send a message._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“But if a dude’s hot, dude’s hot,” Sokka continued. “Do you have a problem?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Zuko wasn’t about to start a fight, but he did have a problem. “Um.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Are you in the right headspace to receive information that could possibly hurt you?” Robbie didn’t wait for an answer. “Sozin outlawed that in the Fire Nation because he was mad Roku rejected him.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh, seriously?” Sokka asked. “Sorry for calling you a boomer earlier, that’s super cool that you know all that old stuff. What other historical figures--”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m going for a walk.” Zuko wasn’t going to listen to Robin slander his great-grandfather and his nation like it was a joke. He turned on his heel and walked right back into Gaoling._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	11. We Just Got A Letter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: homophobia, a little transphobia, and Jet for the first third of this chapter, ending at ~~~. I’ll put a summary in the end notes, but if you can’t read about those topics, this might not be the fic for you, as they are relevant to the plot. Happy reading!
> 
> (also i acknowledge that this chapter is a day late, but it was Christmas, so deal with it, dear reader. thanks for ur patience)

Warnings: homophobia, a little transphobia, and Jet for the first third of this chapter. I’ll put a summary in the end notes, but if you can’t read about those topics, this might not be the fic for you, as they are relevant to the plot. Happy reading!

Zuko had been walking for so long he barely reacted when some policeman-for-hire yelled “Hey, you!” His feet hurt too much to get into a proper fighting stance. He just stared, hands limp at his sides, while the policeman barreled towards him.

A scruffy kid jumped in front of the policeman before he could reach Zuko, and stole his keys, giggling like a wraith. She darted away and began to lead the policeman on a wild orphan chase.

Zuko shrugged and kept on walking. 

Until something cold hooked his collar and jerked him, off balance, into a shadowed alleyway. It smelled of trash and runoff. Zuko was uncomfortably close to a boy who looked like he could be the key-thief's older brother, with a stalk of barley in his mouth. The barley almost poked Zuko in the eye when the boy spoke. “Where are your street smarts, on vacation?” he drawled.

“Wouldn’t you like to know, barley boy.” Zuko scowled and tried to push past him. 

Barley Boy did not budge. He looked Zuko up and down slowly. “The name’s Jet. And you?”

“Wouldn’t. You. Like. To. Know.” Zuko tried to sidestep, but he tripped on a piece of trash. The spike of alertness that came from almost falling didn’t ebb, because he was trapped in an alley with an armed stranger and nobody was looking for him. He wasn’t just unsteady with fatigue anymore, he felt bright and sharp and wondered if his fire would come, if he called it. The night air was cold in his throat.

Jet shrugged. “I think I _would _like to know. My friend Smellerbee saved your ass from that cop. We deserve a thank-you.”__

__“Then thank you. Now, let me leave,” Zuko growled. Jet reminded Zuko of the aggressive jewelry merchant that Robbie had hidden from earlier that day._ _

__“Not until I know you’re leaving to somewhere. Who are you traveling with? And don’t say family,” Jet analyzed. “If you don’t have anyone, you should join my Freedom Fighters. I wouldn’t want a pretty, tough boy like you to waste away as a refugee when you’d obviously rather be fighting the Fire Nation.”_ _

__When Jet mentioned the Fire Nation, he looked like he’d been thrown into the deep end and mistook a sea serpent for a lifeline. If Jet began slandering Zuko’s nation, would he defend it?_ _

__“Thanks for the offer, but no. I’m traveling with friends.” Zuko would not complain to a suspicious stranger about his life problems. That would be dumb. He continued “If you could call them that, considering one who I’ve known for three days just implied that my great-grandfather was a homosexual.”_ _

__Jet hid his laugh behind a hand. Thank Agni, maybe he’d let Zuko go out of amusement. “The nerve of some people.”_ _

__“I know, right? She’s insufferable.” Zuko tasted coppery guilt. He sighed. He couldn’t even be disrespectful correctly. “I mean they’re insufferable.”_ _

__Jet twirled his barley stalk. “They seem like they’d be good friends with Smellerbee.”_ _

__“Maybe.” Zuko thought about trying to leave again. He wouldn’t be faster than Jet if he ran. If he could make conversation, make Jet forget about whatever he wanted from Zuko… but he was never very good at conversation._ _

__A cloud shifted and glinted moonlight onto Zuko’s gold eyes. Jet squinted suspiciously. “Are you Fire?”_ _

__Well, now running would be truly damning. “No.” One raised eyebrow worked better than torture to get Zuko to admit “Used to be. How’d you know.”_ _

__Gold eyes, giant burn scar, internalized homophobia. It wasn’t hard to figure out. “You’ll have to figure that out on your own.” The mottled light made Jet’s skin look like ash. “I’d say once an ashmaker, always an ashmaker, but, given… you know,” Jet smiled crookedly, “I think we can postpone our inevitable duel. Come with me?”_ _

__Nobody but Jet could make an inevitable duel sound attractive._ _

__“I’d be honored, but…” No way was Zuko letting Jet take him to a secondary location. “We could duel now, if you’d like? I don’t have anything to fight with, though.” In a prime example of Zuko’s horrible luck and stupidity, he’d left all five of his bladed weapons at the training circle at camp. Something about Jet made it clear that if Zuko firebent, Jet wouldn’t hesitate._ _

__“You can use one of mine, then.” Jet politely offered one of his hook-swords, hilt-first, to Zuko._ _

__Zuko would never voluntarily fight with only one dao sword. He was impressed. Either Jet was really stupid or really good, his challenge like looking into a warped mirror. He reluctantly took the hook-sword. The grip was cheap, cracked leather, worn down from use. He wondered what Jet usually used the weapons for._ _

__Thankfully, they were interrupted. A child’s voice snapped “Hey, hooligan, why’re you seducing Fireboy?”_ _

__“Lady Toph?”_ _

__Sure enough, the pint-size earthbender was in the entrance to the alleyway, haloed by streetlights. She’d changed out of her dress and was now wearing tough traveling clothes. Or fighting clothes. “Yeah,” Toph lied, “My parents said I could come and train the Avatar. Let’s go.”_ _

__“You’re with the Avatar?” Jet hissed. He seemed to be shaking from the effort it took not to attack Zuko. At least he knew not to antagonize Toph. But he could antagonize the ashmaker. “No wonder the Fire Nation messed you up so bad, you’re a weak little shit.”_ _

__Zuko was so weak, it seemed, that he barely reacted. He handed Jet his hook-sword back. “We’re invading Caldera on the Day Of Black Sun if you want a crack at killing my father,” he told Barley Boy flatly._ _

__“Come on,” Toph said, offering an elbow to Zuko. He did not take it._ _

__As it wasn’t daytime (and his fire wasn’t working), Zuko’s internal compass wasn’t perfect, but he remembered the way back. Left turn, right turn, two streets over, through an alley, straight for a while, find the dirt road that led to the market, follow it until it turned into a leaf-strewn hiking trail. Toph didn’t complain the whole way, which was a good sign._ _

__The campsite itself was harder to find, as the fire wasn’t lit. Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Robbie seemed to be arguing. Zuko heard Robbie say “It’s been too long, we _need _to find him.”___ _

____Zuko pushed a tree branch aside and waved. “Hey, Toph’s here.”_ _ _ _

____Robbie was up in a second. They reminded Zuko of a charging komodo-rhino, except smiling. “You’re back! I shall hug you,” they warned before crashing into him and holding on tight. Zuko patted their back awkwardly. “I am sorry I was… like that,” Robbie said, chin on Zuko’s shoulder for a moment before they let go._ _ _ _

____Toph tapped her foot, impatient. “Are you gonna thank me? I saved him from some dunderhead named Jet who wanted to surprise adopt him.”_ _ _ _

____“Yes, thank you.” Robbie bowed, Earth Kingdom style, before remembering that Toph probably couldn’t see it. They then felt stupid._ _ _ _

____“And before you ask, watergirl, my parents let me go.” Toph lied with such confidence._ _ _ _

____Sokka and Katara looked at each other. “If her parents let her,” Sokka said carefully, “I think we should bring her.”_ _ _ _

____“We should confirm with them before we leave,” Katara said. “But for tonight, I guess Toph can stay with us.”_ _ _ _

____That wasn’t ideal, but Toph could work with it. She earthbent herself a seat and lounged in it sideways. Her Blind Bandit outfit really was more comfortable than a dress. “Why isn’t the firepit hot?”_ _ _ _

____Toph could feel the looks exchanged among the gaang. Clearly, Fireboy wasn’t very fiery. Or maybe he had lost fire privileges._ _ _ _

____Zuko knelt beside the firepit and reignited it with hidden difficulty. “So, where to next?”_ _ _ _

____“The Fire Nation,” Robbie said. “But we got a letter.”_ _ _ _

____~~~_ _ _ _

____Omashu-- New Ozai-- wasn’t as defeated as Mai’s parents pretended. Mai was no bender, but she knew that it took more than a few weeks for Fire to overcome Earth. Earth citizens whispered in the alleys the same way the Firelord’s servants whispered in the palace. In fact, the only place more dangerous than New Ozai was probably the palace. Old Ozai._ _ _ _

____Mai was restless. She couldn't pretend that Fire was winning. She knew her knives could block neither flame nor rocks. But she’d seen what happened to young nobles who spoke out. She stayed inside, in her rich cell of a bedroom most of the time, staring at the wooden target on her wall and the case of knives on a velvet cushion under it._ _ _ _

____Mai’s sleeves almost trailed into her inkwell as she finished writing a paper on the Air military. How it was both completely inferior and the biggest threat to the Nation in a hundred years. Her tutor would grade it well._ _ _ _

____There was a knock on the door._ _ _ _

____“Come in,” Mai droned._ _ _ _

____The butler entered, bowed, and set a letter on Mai’s desk, directly on top of her still-wet essay. Mai did not react. “A letter from the Princess, milady,” the butler announced._ _ _ _

____“Thank you.”_ _ _ _

____The butler bowed and left, closing the door behind him._ _ _ _

____Mai deliberately leaned forward in her new chair, flicked a knife into her hand, and broke the seal on Azula’s letter. Azula’s seal, not the Firelord’s. She immediately began thinking of ways she could decline the invitation to the palace. Tom-tom needed to be babysat, the streets were still blocked from the invasion of New Ozai, the family’s ostrich-horses had gone lame. Anything to avoid seeing the man who had banished Mai’s best friend._ _ _ _

____The letter was short. Unofficial. There weren’t enough titles at the end. Something was wrong, more wrong than usual._ _ _ _

____Zuko and his odd Uncle were traitors. For once, Mai was honestly unsurprised. Surely Mai could get them favorable treatment in prison, with her uncle being a warden._ _ _ _

____The spirits were involved?_ _ _ _

____The “current management of the Fire Nation” was the Firelord. Azula wasn’t allowed to _criticize _or _review _the Firelord, she had to stay in favor. It _might lead us to encounter Zuzu _?_______ _ _ _

__________Azula was turning traitor. And for her brother, no less._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Mai found another piece of paper. She drew a cross on it. On the top right quadrant, she wrote “pros”, and on the left, she wrote “cons”. Under “pros,” she wrote that there was no safer place than in Azula’s favor. She could leave New Ozai, and her parents couldn’t stop her. The Crown Princess outranked governors._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Also, under “pros”, she wrote one word: Zuko._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Without Azula to manipulate the Firelord, Zuko was toast. Mai had always known that Zuko was no real match for the Avatar, either. She’d just hoped that the Avatar would find him funny. But the Avatar had captured him. If the Dragon of The West couldn’t get him back, it was up to Mai and Azula._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Under “cons”, she wrote_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Traveling is dirty  
Fighting is dangerous  
Treason is, allegedly, wrong_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________And, of course,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Zuko._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The T-chart made the logical argument. Two pros outweighed four cons. Mai shredded it. Time to pack her bags._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Circuses didn’t get much mail. It was hard to deliver, when they moved around so much they didn’t have addresses. Like nomads._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Ty Lee was stretching after her performance when a scruffy girl on a fly-plagued ostrichhorse handed her a piece of paper._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What’s this?” Ty Lee asked, and didn’t need an answer. The red circle of wax, with the dragon design, said it all. She smiled wide for the messenger girl. “It’s from an old friend! Thanks.” She searched her pockets for coins, but of course she didn’t carry any during her performance. “Just a second, I need to get your money.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“The letter was paid for by the sender, miss,” the messenger said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh.” Ty Lee tilted her head innocently. “That’s unlike her. Well, have a good day, then.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yes.” The messenger pulled on the reins of her exhausted ostrichhorse and plodded out of the circus._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Ty Lee brought the letter inside her tent to read. The fabric filtered light, giving the scene an appropriately red tint. She dug into the wax seal with her fingernails until it chipped enough to open. Nobles were so odd about wax seals, they really should just use glue and sign their name._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Ty Lee skimmed the first paragraph, frowning. Handling the Firelord’s work was an okay reason for not writing, but Azula could have at least explained that instead of seemingly ignoring her for months. And there was no way that writing to Ty Lee was easier than writing scripted letters to politicians. Ty Lee sighed heavily and kept herself on the lookout for more lies._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I wonder if you’d recognize me now” was the next lie. Azula did not wonder. She was smart, she must know that Ty Lee would recognize her anytime._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I read all your letters.” Truth. Ty Lee could imagine Azula collecting a stack of her letters and studying her like a history lesson. If it wasn’t sad, it would be funny._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Ty Lee had, of course, mastered that acrobatics move. She was a master. She’d invented more moves, too. She’d have loved to talk all about them. Too bad Azula probably didn’t care._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Wait. Ty Lee was the spiritual one. She couldn’t really see auras, but she knew a lot about them. Azula had tolerated it, but had never picked it up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Zuko had been captured by the Avatar. Ty Lee had worried about this. She unconsciously brought the letter closer to her face as she read, fear dripping down her spine like a leaking roof._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________If Ty Lee didn’t come on Azula’s mission, several things would happen. The spirits would be angry. Azula would be angry. Mai would be the only one around Azula when she was angry. More people than necessary would die._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________And Ty Lee would be forever remembered as the acrobat who was friends with the Princess and didn’t save the Prince._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Ty Lee wouldn't be part of a mismatched set anymore. She began to write her letter of resignation to the circus._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary of the first third: While Zuko is on his angst stroll, a policeman tries to stop him, but Smellerbee distracts him. Jet takes one look at Zuko and decides it’s his hot boy summer (i’m not sure what season it is in this fic btw but don’t worry about it). Jet takes a second look at Zuko and decides “I won’t hesitate, bitch”. Toph rescues Zuko and the two of them return to the gaang. Katara and Sokka have received a letter. 
> 
> this is what I meant when I said that the plot was picking up. >:)


	12. Unexpected Reunion

Katara froze some water into the shapes of a chopping board and kitchen knife and began chopping vegetables for dinner, planning to conscript Sokka to help. “Where’d you get that letter?”

“A carrier-seagull, it entered camp while Sokka was cleaning up the sparring ring.” Robbie handed the still-folded letter to Sokka, since Katara had her hands full with a knife. “It’s addressed to you and Katara.”

Sokka tore the letter open. “It’s from Dad!” he squeaked. 

Katara fumbled her chopping board and it melted onto her shoes. “What’s it say?”

Toph didn’t move an inch. “What’s the big deal?” Zuko silently agreed.

“It says that the fleet is near the southern coast right now, and we could intercept them on our way to the Fire Nation!” Katara and Sokka were practically vibrating with joy. 

“That way Appa can get some rest instead of flying us over the whole western ocean,” Aang reasoned. “And you guys can see your dad, so double-awesome!”

Toph had thought that there wouldn’t be any adults on this mission, so she wasn’t elated. She hoped that Water Tribe chiefs were different from Earth Kingdom nobles. Fighting the Fire Nation must toughen people up, right?

Sokka found the map and opened it with a flourish. “So, this letter was written two days ago, and they’re traveling about eight knots, facing northwest.” 

Zuko looked over Sokka’s shoulder. This was just multiplication, he’d been able to calculate troop movements since he was six. “Your father will be between Foggy Swamp and the easternmost point of the Southern Air temple, probably slightly further east. Assuming that Appa travels faster than a sailing ship-- I know he’s faster than a Fire Navy ship-- we could reach him by morning if we left within two hours.”

Sokka wasn’t mad. But he had almost finished working that out, he didn’t need help figuring out where his own dad’s fleet was. “Right.”

Katara was trying to waterbend her melted chopping board back into a flat slab of ice. It kept converging into a frosty lump with dirt inside it. She sighed. “Hey, Toph, could you watch the stew while I get some more water?”

“No, I cannot,” Toph said. She waved, half-mocking. “What’s up, I’m Toph, I’m twelve, and I never learned how to cook.”

“Oh. Right. How about you and Robbie get some more water, then? There’s a glacial creek that way.” Katara pointed into the woods.

“Cool,” Robbie said. They gathered up the empty waterskins and they and Toph walked off.

As soon as they were out of earshot of the rest of the group, Toph asked Robbie “So, what’s everyone’s deal?”

Robbie almost ran into a tree. They really didn’t think that that was fair, the blind girl being able to navigate better than them. “What do you mean?”

Toph clucked her tongue. “You guys are all too jumpy to be looking for glory.”

“It’s less glory than--” A stone wall shot up right in front of Robbie. They ran into it, which hurt. For once, they were glad their human nose was less sensitive than their fox one, as it was currently squashed against granite. “What--”

Toph held up a hand. “We need to go back. Something’s happening.” 

A small figure dropped from the trees and latched onto Toph’s back. In a second, she had a knife at the earthbender’s throat. “I don’t want to hurt you, you don’t want to die. Don’t move,” she ordered. She seemed tired but no less dangerous.

“We don’t have any money,” Robbie said instinctively. 

Toph corrected “I do have money, if you’re gonna kill me for it, but it’s back in Gaoling. So let go.” 

The girl sighed. “I can’t do that. You’re an earthbender, if I let go you’ll get me.”

“Yeah, I would.”

Robbie raised their hand, fingers unconsciously curled into claws. “Can I move?”

“Yeah, sure. It’s not like you can fight.” She was right, but it still stung. “I’m Smellerbee, by the way.”

“Not nice to meet you. I’m Robbie. I’ll be back, Toph.”

Toph earthbent herself a throne to lounge on while Smellerbee continued pressing on her carotids. “Go ahead.”

Robbie dashed off. Pine branches whipped across their face and rushed past, they kept tripping, shocking fear into them with each leaping step. Their head was down and their eyes squinted. Fear like a veil, and every tree looked like something else, like danger. Their legs and lungs burned. They couldn’t accelerate like they could flying. They were too exposed now, too vulnerable, and which trail were they on?

They skidded into the cleared circle of land where Sokka had taught them to fight just that morning. There. In the shining stack of weapons, there lay two dao swords. Robbie snatched up the sheathed swords and kept running. It really, really, hurt to sprint this long. Their head was spinning. 

They heard a boy shouting. “You’re an ashmaker. You don’t deserve to live, you f-”

“Agni, I _know _.”__

__Robbie finally burst into the campsite. Kids like Smellerbee had tied Aang up and locked Katara and Sokka in battle. A boy that could only be described as spiky circled Zuko. He had two hooked swords. He was beyond ready to use them._ _

__“Firebend at me! Don’t you want to give me an ugly scar to match you, don’t you want to kill-” he screamed, raw and twisted._ _

__Robbie could feel every word the boy said hitting Zuko’s aura, bullets. The other boy’s aura tasted of a vile conviction. Zuko didn’t show the damage. He just kept circling, hands almost at his chin, ready to defend._ _

__The boy hadn’t noticed Robbie, so they stepped back into the trees. Catching glimpses of the scene, framed by the forest, they forced their way to Zuko’s side. The dao swords slid out of the sheath with a soft hiss. Robbie held the swords by the blades, though they cut into their hands, and held them hilt-first out to Zuko._ _

__Zuko retreated one step from Jet and angled himself just enough to take his swords from Robbie. Twice now, Jet had caught Zuko unarmed. There would not be a third time._ _

__“Do… you want me to kill you?”_ _

__“Do what you ashmakers do best,” Jet spat._ _

__That was an affirmative. You didn’t win when your opponent wanted to lose. Zuko wouldn’t kill this kid. He adjusted his swords’ grip in his hands and rushed Jet._ _

__Jet flipped over him. Before Zuko could turn around he hooked one sword and pulled._ _

__Zuko shifted the angle of the sword that Jet had hooked, and forced it downwards. Jet’s first hook-sword clattered to the ground._ _

__Katara caught the action out of the corner of her eye. She sent a water whip towards the uncontrolled hook-sword and curled it back to her. It stopped the halfhearted swipe of a knife from some kid._ _

__“You can surrender anytime,” Zuko reminded._ _

__That only seemed to fuel Jet more. He laughed, crazed. “No I can’t.” He was an unbalanced whirlwind once more, hitting Zuko with attack after attack. The clang of metal rang like cursed birdcalls through the forest._ _

__Defend above head, chest, side, arms, legs. Duck. Sidestep. Hook. Fire. There wasn’t any fire. Attack near the head, only kill the poor stalk of barley. Defend. Don’t hear anything Jet screams._ _

__Hear it all._ _

__Jet aimed to hook Zuko’s leg. Wrong choice. Zuko sliced his foot at the middle of the hook, shattering the cheap blade._ _

__Jet kept holding onto the hilt of his broken hook-sword. It lended power to his bare fist. He swung at Zuko._ _

___So, what can you stop? ____ _

____Zuko forced his hand into Jet’s arm, stopping the punch. He stepped forward and twisted Jet’s arm behind his back. Like a police officer._ _ _ _

____“Let me go!” Jet screamed. The sound rang, a high-pitched Agni Kai gong._ _ _ _

____Zuko didn’t want to break Jet’s arm. He forced Jet’s shoulder up. It made a noise. “You need to leave.”_ _ _ _

____Jet cried out, shaking. “Fine!”_ _ _ _

____At Jet’s command, the kids that had surrounded Katara and Sokka stopped fighting. The smallest ones collapsed on the ground._ _ _ _

____Zuko let Jet go._ _ _ _

____Jet stumbled away. “Come on, Freedom Fighters,” he hissed. The kids trailed after him, back to Gaoling. “Ashmaker, don’t think I won’t make sure everyone knows what you are. You won’t be safe anywhere in the Earth Kingdom, or the Fire Nation for that matter, when I’m done.”_ _ _ _

____Robbie wisped away, in the direction that they remembered Toph was in. It felt closer now that the fight was over._ _ _ _

____Smellerbee’s feet were encased in earth, and Toph was holding the waterskins, which she apparently had time to fill. “You want me to let her go?” Toph asked._ _ _ _

____“Yeah. Zuko won.”_ _ _ _

____The rocks holding Smellerbee down crumbled as Toph relaxed her earthbending. “What… what did the ash… I mean, firebender, what did he do?” Smellerbee asked quietly._ _ _ _

____It looked like Toph’s former attacker needed comforting. Too bad Robbie was… Robbie. “Jet’s alive. Maybe a dislocated shoulder. But Zuko wouldn’t have killed him.”_ _ _ _

____“Good.” Smellerbee trudged away, in the direction of Gaoling. “Jet looks for fights, I wish he didn’t, but I can’t say I’m sorry he fought a firebender. They really messed things up for all of us.”_ _ _ _

____“Yeah,” Toph said, “The Fire Nation messes things up for everyone.”_ _ _ _

____“I wish you the best.” Robbie wished they knew a proper Earth Kingdom farewell. If they were a good student, they’d remember some ._ _ _ _

____Smellerbee nodded. She wasn’t facing Toph or Robbie. As she walked, more and more trees blocked her small form from view until she disappeared in the forest._ _ _ _

____“That was weird.” Toph dumped more than half of the waterskins in Robbie’s arms. “Let’s go back.”_ _ _ _

____Back at the campsite, Katara had healing water out, and Zuko was protesting._ _ _ _

____“I wasn’t stabbed, he never got me. Nothing went snap, crackle or pop. Put that water away!” Zuko ordered._ _ _ _

____Katara didn’t follow orders. “Give me your wrists.”_ _ _ _

____“What?”_ _ _ _

____Katara split the glowing water in two and lassoed Zuko’s arms with each section, making healing manacles. Katara closed her eyes and felt the water’s connection with the pulse points in his arms. Her waterbending sense traveled his circulatory system, just as the Northern healer had taught her._ _ _ _

____He was really banged up, but everything seemed days old. “Were you in an explosion or something?”_ _ _ _

____“Oh. Uh, yeah. Admiral Zhao hired some pirates to blow up my ship.”_ _ _ _

____Katara remembered some pirates that would have a grudge against Zuko. “The pirates that stole a waterbending scroll?”_ _ _ _

____“Yeah, those pirates.”_ _ _ _

____Katara cackled. “Karma.”_ _ _ _

____Nothing else seemed to be off, though the capillaries close to the skin’s surface in many places were... missing. She retracted the water, thinking. What could have caused that?_ _ _ _

____The answer came to her as soon as she opened her eyes again. Those places were scars. Skin didn’t grow capillaries back if it was burned off._ _ _ _

____“Okay, you’re not lying,” Katara said, slightly shaken. “You weren’t stabbed.”_ _ _ _

____“I know.”_ _ _ _

____“And you’re sure you feel fine?” Jet had yelled at Zuko, a lot. He didn’t even look bothered, which seemed wrong. Had Katara checked his brain for damage?”_ _ _ _

____What would appease the waterbender? Zuko racked his brain. A joke, maybe? “I’m fine, but I do want to di--” he corrected himself for Aang. Dark humor was not for twelve-year-olds to overhear. “Uh. Commit arson?”_ _ _ _

____“Arson?” Toph laughed. “Why, when you can do insurance fraud?”_ _ _ _

____“I, personally, prefer art theft. Not plagiarism,” Sokka clarified, “like, straight up, stealing paintings. It seems cool.”_ _ _ _

____“Eco-terrorism,” Katara suggested. She didn’t like crime, but was willing to play along._ _ _ _

____“Cabbage fraud?” Aang didn’t know many laws. The monks didn’t exactly have a legislature._ _ _ _

____Were they just naming crimes? Robbie had a degree in law, though it was decades old. “Falling asleep in a cheese shop in the midwestern Earth Kingdom.”_ _ _ _

____“Is…” Sokka wasn’t sure he’d heard that right. “that illegal?”_ _ _ _

____“Yes,” everyone else chorused. “Haven’t you heard?”_ _ _ _

____Shockingly, the campfire hadn’t gone out during Jet’s attack. Katara quickly finished making dinner. She ladled the stew into Aang’s bowl first, and then added in the chicken-pork, let it simmer for a few minutes more, and delt out a bowl to everyone._ _ _ _

____“Why does soup always taste better after a fight?” Sokka wondered aloud._ _ _ _

____Robbie knew the scientific answer, but supposed that the question was rhetorical._ _ _ _

____“Anything’s good after Jet being saltier than the dead sea,” Katara said. “Honestly. I already rejected him, he should’ve gotten over it already.”_ _ _ _

____“And I’m the Avatar,” Aang said, “of course I’ll travel with a firebender. He really needs some reasoning skills.”_ _ _ _

____“You’ve met Jet before?” Zuko asked._ _ _ _

____Sokka pointed with his spoon. “Funny story. We met him a couple weeks ago; Katara thought he was too pretty to be a terrorist.”_ _ _ _

____“I did not! He was _charming _, but--”___ _ _ _

______“Charming? There were enough red flags to make Sozin blush!” Sokka was clearly still incensed over the whole thing._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well, I know that now,” Katara huffed._ _ _ _ _ _

______Zuko felt like he’d witnessed a murder. He took another bite of stew._ _ _ _ _ _

______Robbie set down their bowl, they had finished quickly. “I hate to say it, but we need to leave soon, not just to intercept the Southern fleet, but. You know. Jet definitely told the police about Zuko.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“We could bribe them.” Nobody perked up at Toph’s helpful suggestion. “Or not, I guess.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“We’re trying to break the law as little as possible.” As soon as Katara said it, it was true. That was the goal: restore balance, follow the law._ _ _ _ _ _

______“So, the opposite of a speed-run.” Toph shrugged. “Sure.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______The gaang set off on Appa an hour later._ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you ever tried to write a sword-fight scene? Spain without the S. 
> 
> A playlist was made for this fic! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5LCR51ivVZCC7PaFz2Oddl?si=iFqyPtxrQM-qmdw37DrLQQ the creator of the playlist said they'd add Bite Back by Dodie, but it isn't on Spotify, which is a shame. Enjoy!
> 
> Anyways, in this chapter, which I wrote weeks ago, Jet gets a dislocated shoulder. Can you guess, dear reader, what currently afflicts me?
> 
> _Anyways, _so concludes Arc 1: Poles! Arc 2 starts next chapter.__


	13. Expected Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So begins Arc 2: Ships, which is clearly named for the nautical setting that makes up the majority of this arc. :). Wanna know how I thought of splitting this fic into arcs and naming them? You guessed it, at the witching hour when I had to get up early that morning. Isn't it comforting to know that your favorite (/s) author is just as much of a disorganized gremlin as you must be?

“How do you bow in the Water Tribe?”

“You shake hands.”

~

“How do you address the chief? Sir? Your highness?”

“We call him Dad, but I guess you can call him sir.”

~

“How do you ask permission to speak?”

“You just. Talk?”

~

“Are you gonna tell him that I’m. You know. The Fire prince?”

“Yeah. But we won’t say that you took Gran-Gran hostage, so we’re even.”

“I don’t remember doing that.”

“Right answer.”

~

“How-”

“Tui and La, Zuko, go to sleep.”

~

Katara had been looking down at the ocean, scanning the horizon for the fleet, since the sun rose. There was no way of knowing where they were, there was no land around, so no there were no landmarks. Just the ocean, which reflected the sun back into Katara’s eyes.

Toph pointed to the ocean, clinging to Appa’s saddle with her other arm. “There they are!”

“Really?” Sokka scrambled to look. There was just more ocean. “I don’t see-”

“Neither do I,” Toph giggled.

Zuko had been staring blankly at the ocean for, frankly, too long. He looked oddly small. He cleared his throat. “Um. Is that them?”

Aang set down Appa’s reins and shaded his eyes. “That’s definitely a water tribe ship. Sokka, Katara, come see?”

Sokka and Katara knocked their heads together in their rush to see. “That’s Dad’s flag! It’s the Aklhut!” Sokka said. 

Momo, seeing the commotion, settled himself on Zuko’s head. 

“Yip yip.” Aang directed Appa into a gradual dive. 

Robbie watched the crew on the ship, the Aklhut, see Appa descending towards them, and run around like ants trying to clear a space on the desk. It was odd, since Robbie flew invisibly most of the time, to see people react to them in the air.

The ship itself had an aura, as did everyone on it. That would be hard for Robbie to manage in such a limited space. They felt Sokka and Katara’s auras grow and Zuko’s shrink with every foot Appa went down. 

Appa landed on the ship.

Sokka and Katara were sliding down Appa’s tail before he was even settled. Katara looked around for her father, and there he was. He’d grown a beard, and his hair might’ve been grayer, but there he was! “Dad!” The siblings tumbled into Chief Hakoda’s arms and squeezed as hard as they could. Neither Sokka nor Katara would later admit that they had cried a little. 

Aang waited a few respectful seconds, then airbursted up and landed on the deck next to Appa’s nose. “Hi, Chief Hakoda. I’m Aang, it’s nice to meet you.”

“He’s the Avatar,” Katara explained to Hakoda.

Hakoda had expected the Avatar to be a little older. “Nice to meet you, too. And…?” He looked at the three children still on the sky bison.

The Avatar held up a winged lemur. “This is Momo.”

Sokka stepped up to introduce everyone else. “Robbie’s the one helping Toph get off the bison, they’re a spirit, and that’s Zuko.”

When Zuko heard his name he turned to face the conversation. That would have been fine, were he not in the process of climbing down Appa. He fell five feet onto the deck, brushed himself off like nothing happened, and nodded. He stood with perfect military posture. “Honored to meet you, sir.”

Toph finally made it to the deck. She positioned her feet right above the seams in the wood. The ship was made watertight with coal-based pitch. Technically, earth. It “looked” to her like the ship was made of pixelated rectangles, like a net. It was unsettling. At least it wasn’t sealed with pine tar, then she would’ve had to rely on just the thin layer of dried sea salt.

Robbie dropped to the deck beside Toph. 

Sokka seemed to remember something. “Hey, Katara, how about you give everyone a tour of the Akhlut? I have to talk to Dad.”

“...Sure.”

Sokka tried not to cling to Hakoda’s arm just like he used to do when he was thirteen. It was a battle. Hakoda wasn’t as tall as Sokka remembered. The ship’s cabin also looked smaller. Maybe he’d just gotten taller. 

The door to Hakoda’s cabin was stuck again. Sea spray had swollen the wood, half-sealing it to the doorframe. Hakoda tried to force it open with his shoulder.

Katara, not having left yet, nudged Sokka out of the way and set her palm on the door as if stroking an animal. When she pulled her hand away, drops of water glistened on the wood. She flicked them away. She turned the doorknob and it opened with only a squeak of protest from the hinges, then left to show Toph, Robbie, and Zuko around.

When Hakoda left the South Pole, Katara had struggled to disrupt ocean waves. Who had taught her waterbending?

Hakoda’s cabin, his bedroom and office but too small to be either, was a mess. His desk, cluttered with maps and letters, was in one corner, and his messy hammock was in the other. He’d planned to clean it. Hakoda sat in his chair and Sokka sat in his hammock. “You’re a leader,” he said.

Hakoda didn’t know what he expected Sokka to say, but it wasn’t this. Shouldn’t they talk about how he and Katara left home to help a centenarian boy assassinate a world leader? Or maybe catch up on the years that had passed while Hakoda was away? “Yes, why?

“How do you do it?” Sokka asked, as if he were already a chief. “At first it was just Katara and Aang, and we were _lost _, but we were on the same page. Now, in the past few days, we got Robbie, Zuko, and Toph, and nobody knows how to act. Our main goal is the Firelord, of course, but we don’t know how to get there. So. How do I help us?”__

__Hakoda’s first instinct was to tell Sokka not to worry. He’d gotten the Avatar to somewhere safe, and that was more than enough. He shouldn’t need advice to lead a bunch of kids as if they were a warship’s crew. But he did need it, and Hakoda was sure that if he didn’t give it he’d just go to Bato. What advice applied to both trained soldiers and runaway kids? “If you want to help make your friends into a team, instead of a group of people that share a similar goal,” Hakoda said carefully, “You have to know what motivates them as individuals, and then find what they have in common.”_ _

__Sokka hadn’t honestly expected something that made sense. He remembered the warriors, before they left, planning things as benign as hunting trips in slang and code above his head. He guessed he was old enough to be advised like a warrior, and that was what he'd always wanted, but it didn't quite feel like the victory he'd imagined as a little kid. It felt like responsibility._ _

__What motivated them? He knew Katara best, she wanted to do what was right and help people, even if the schedule didn’t allow for it. The rest were more complicated. He thought aloud. “Aang wants to make up for the time he lost in the iceberg. Robbie wants to do their project well.” Sokka thought of Robbie as a combination lock. Ask them the right question and they’d say anything, but they didn’t volunteer information. Surely there was more to them than a grade in a class, but Sokka didn’t know what. He did know how it felt to want to prove yourself, though. “Toph… wants to prove that she’s the best earthbender, even though she’s just a kid. And. Uh.” Zuko. They’d sort of kidnapped Zuko. Whatever Robbie had done when they’d possessed Zuko had stopped him from char-broiling everyone, but no way could a couple seconds in a neutral spirit’s mind cause an actual prince to turn traitor._ _

__Sokka remembered the fight with Jet’s posse. Sokka had totally been going easy on the kids, because the alternative was that untrained children could keep him fighting for a good three minutes, or that he was distracted by watching Jet and Zuko fight (with morbid curiosity and nothing more), and it didn’t matter that Sokka was also an untrained child. After the fight, Katara had put healing-water wrist loopies on Zuko, and the look on her face as she healed him was almost unfamiliar to Sokka. Sokka assumed it was none of his business, but Katara told him stuff that wasn’t his business all the time. So he deduced that Zuko was banged up, but from some time before the fight. Maybe from the North Pole, he’d really looked like polar-dog crap then._ _

__If whatever had done that was the reason he was on their side, why hadn’t he done so earlier? It didn’t seem like his weird uncle would’ve stopped him from betraying the Fire Nation. Sokka tried not to pick at an unraveling knot in the hammock as he thought._ _

__“And the firebender, Zuko?” Hakoda prompted._ _

__“Dad, he’s the prince,” Sokka said. “I don’t get him at all. He chased us across the world, trying to capture Aang, and then as soon as Robbie showed up it was like all of his anger got replaced by awkwardness and badass sword fighting.” Sokka paused, realizing maybe he shouldn’t curse in front of his dad who he hadn’t seen in years. “Well, most of it. And,” he remembered all the questions Zuko had asked as they were flying to the Aklhut. “I think he’s scared of you? Which is weird because as far as I can tell, he doesn’t fear death.”_ _

__That seemed like a good start, actually. To figure out what motivated Zuko, Sokka could first figure out what scared him._ _

__“I should hope I strike fear into the hearts of Fire nobility,” Hakoda said pensively. He didn’t really want to strike fear into the heart of a kid, even if he was Fire. “I’m sure you can figure him out. Be yourself.” It sounded cliche, but it was always true. “And if you need me, come and get me.”_ _

__Sokka wondered which self his father was advising him to be. The thirteen-year-old boy that he remembered was long-dead. The self that destroyed an iceberg by annoying his sister, that lets said little sister get arrested and start prison riots for earthbenders, that flies on an extinct animal with an extinct kid, plays airball in the scene of a genocide and doubts the fighting skills of trained Kyoshi Warriors just because they were girls, surely wasn’t what Hakoda hoped he’d be. The self that became a fisherman for a day to make sure Katara and Aang got enough money to eat, that taught a spirit how to fight for themself and tried to warn a fortune-telling cult that their town was going to fall, didn’t seem to show around firebenders. Sokka wasn’t sure he wanted it to. Where was the line between kindness and weakness in leadership?_ _

__Sokka hugged Hakoda and said “I’ll try. Thanks.”_ _

__Belowdecks, Robbie was meditating. It had been enough time. They had to see what Princess Azula was going to do._ _

__Robbie found Azula miles outside Caldera, in a fast lizardhorse-drawn carriage that was fit for a noble lady but not quite a princess. They slowed to match the carriage’s speed and seeped through its ceiling. Azula jumped and immediately folded her hands, the image of calm._ _

__This time, Robbie had forgotten to expect armor. It was solid plate metal, bloodred and gold around the edges, likely just as expensive as the carriage. Far higher quality than Fire soldiers got. The princess looked older with it reflecting the blinding sun into Robbie’s eyes, so even the polish on Azula’s armor was tactical._ _

__“You have an answer,” Robbie stated._ _

__Azula met the fox spirit’s eyes steadily. Gold against gray. Robbie looked away, just like last time, though the gesture didn’t betray a lack of resolve. “Yes. My answer is yes.”_ _

__“And your plan?” Robbie felt like an actor, talking strategy. They were supposed to be peaceful. And yet, here they were, plotting with a natural warrior._ _

__“I will find Ty Lee, a skilled chi-blocker, soon. We will rendezvous with Lady Mai and General Iroh in Ba Sing Se. Then, we will travel where required,” Azula said, rehearsed._ _

__Princess Azula, two nonbenders, and General Iroh. A force to be reckoned with. “What will you do once you have Zuko?”_ _

__Azula feigned nonchalance. “That, Robin, is up to you. If I find that the Avatar is not treating _Prince _Zuko with due respect, I will not hesitate to take my brother and return home. If I find that the best course of action is to help him with the Avatar, I will. I will not leave without my brother. _If _I am to betray my own father, I must retain at least one member of my family.” She looked equally close to laughing and summoning fire to attack. “I may be a monster and a liar, but I’m telling the truth now.”_____ _

______Robbie had thought that the princess was a child. What had happened since their research? “I believe you, but you are no monster, your highness.” They were the one that turned into a twisted purple fox when dark energy overwhelmed. Azula was just a human, and how much transforming, how much _evil _could one young human do?___ _ _ _ _ _

________“Two monsters in one room. We could achieve much.” The rhythmic bouncing of the carriage didn’t move Azula from her red-cushioned seat. “Remember that others may still see you as a spirit.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Robbie knew how to answer prompts with questions. “What do you see me as.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Azula looked at the weightless fox with one paw daintily up in the air. The spirit that could make her, her brother, and her only friends into traitors. The spirit that, unlike proper spirits, had a human body and meddled in human affairs. No way Robin deserved to be treated like a spirit. “I see you exactly as you are.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________That was fair. Robbie knew how fair that was. If they fit in as a spirit, they wouldn’t have taken on this project. If they fit in as a human, though, they would never return to the Library. _Exactly as they were _was nothing, nobody, nowhere. They did not respond.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The carriage slowed, and stopped. Azula rose to scold the driver, but there was a well-placed knock at the window. Robbie tried to draw back the thick red curtain, but they did not have mass, so they failed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The door swung open._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________A girl vaulted into the carriage. She was dressed in flashy pink and her high braid would have smacked Robbie in the nose had they been corporeal._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Hi, Azula!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Ty Lee. Did you chi-block the driver?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“No,” she said innocently._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Azula raised her voice, addressing the poor driver. “Keep moving, then.” The carriage accelerated once again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“So.” Ty Lee crouched to peer at Robbie with her suspiciously gray eyes. “Who’s this little guy?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Robbie was still a bit dazzled. “Your aura is pink,” they said dumbly. And it was. The acrobat gave off light that was pink as an oversaturated sunrise. They wanted to shade their eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Ty Lee smiled some more. “I’m glad! You must be the spirit messenger Robin.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yes.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Azula stepped in, thankfully. “We were discussing our plans. Where should we meet you?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Robbie gave Azula the coordinates and velocity of the Aklhut. “You shouldn’t come with a Fire Navy fleet of your own, to avoid misunderstanding.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I love stealth missions.” Ty Lee said it in a nonthreatening way, as if it disguised her words._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Azula didn’t need a map to plan. “Robin, once Mai is in Ba Sing Se, find her, and preferably General Iroh. They will take an Earth ship from Ba Sing Se down the nearby river. We will meet them at Crescent Island in six days, and intercept the Water Tribe in a week.” Azula would send a shirshu-raven to Mai with the same message, in case Robbie failed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________That sounded good. “One more thing. Zuko’s firebending isn’t as strong as it should be, and we don’t know what caused it. We plan to visit Sun Warrior island. You’re a firebending expert, so do you have other ideas?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Azula drummed her nails on her leg. She would not admit that she hadn’t been able to summon a perfect lightning strike since she decided to follow Robin, though no hairs were out of place. “That is unprecedented, assuming you haven’t done something to him.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I haven’t.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Then... make sure he can meditate properly. Once we reunite, I may have other theories.” Agni’s light soaked into Azula’s skin through the curtained window, and she wanted more._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Robbie nodded. “I’ll see you in a week, then.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Wait,” Ty Lee said. “What color is Azula’s aura?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Auras were not colors. They weren’t always visible, they used whichever sense fit best. Azula’s aura was the spark in thunderstorms, heat waves, silence that could crack like a whip or a shell, depending. “Red.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven’t read MuffinLance’s Salvage, Hella1975’s The Art of Burning, and HufflepuffChildOfApollo’s Like A Comet Pulled From Orbit, you should. I’ll be using some of the ship’s crewmembers and stuff from those fics, which are about the SWT rescuing Zuko. The names Akhlut and Wani are from Salvage and the character Healer Kanut as well as the characterization of Bato are from The Art Of Burning. I won’t go into Kanut’s backstory or anything like Hella1975 did, so read her masterpiece if you like him.


	14. Blind

Cw: violence a little higher than canon-compliant with accidental self-harm, mention of blood from the line “they’re fading this is wrong” to the end of the chapter. I’ll put a summary in the end notes.

Robbie was exhausted after meeting Ty Lee. The effervescent acrobat really had the nerve to call them cute. Foxes were wild, and spirits were inhuman beings of energy and power. Not cute. They pouted.

Still, they had things to do, it didn’t matter how they felt. They skimmed over icy waves, headed ever-north. The wind should have bit like fangs, but Robbie couldn’t feel it. They hadn’t possessed their body in over an hour. Hopefully that wouldn’t hurt their body. It was irreplaceable. 

The sun had no warmth to its desert-brightness, glistening off of ever-growing icebergs. Robbie stepped higher to avoid the ice. Water tribe humans ice-dodged in boats. Robbie could just fly. They were detached.

Another glacier was approaching. This one hadn’t been frozen by La. It was planned, a monolith of arches, a fortress of diamonds. The capital of the Northern Water Tribe. Agna Qel'a.

Robbie flew right through its impenetrable walls. 

The palace of Agna Qel’a bore a resemblance to the palace of Caldera. Blue ice to red stone, arches to tiered roofs, sculptures in barren winter gardens. Built to isolate rulers in the name of tradition. There was one concrete difference. Caldera was cold in warmth, but, as Robbie could tell by the fireplaces, by the low ceilings and the people, Agna Qel’a was built to be warm in the cold. 

Robbie didn’t have to strain for whispers to find the princess of the Northern Water Tribe. People gossiped openly. Was that better? 

The gossipers said that Princess Yue was in the courtyards. They said that she was different after the Avatar’s departure. That she wasn’t quite as proper. Yue had met with the healer Yugoda and Master Pakku, though she was not injured, and was no bender. One young man wondered if it had to do with a Southern peasant. Robbie tried to remember which one.

Sokka always stared at the moon a bit too long. It must have been him.

Though Katara surely showed Yue that girls could stand up for themselves. Perhaps the impoliteness the man perceived was only a reminder of boundaries. Robbie should have come to the North Pole earlier. 

Yue, regal in furs dyed purple, was perched on a bench made of ice. She tucked a stray white curl behind her hair, concentrating on something. Another piece of ice? Robbie got closer.

As Yue stared at the ice, reaching for it with gloved hands, the ice sunk into the ground as if it had been stomped. She pulled her hands back, taking something intangible, and poked the ice with her boot. 

It floated.

Robbie dropped their invisibility, standing on the bench beside the princess. “Are you a waterbender?”

The ice fell to the ground and shattered. 

Yue exhaled slowly. “Spirit.”

“Oh. I apologize.” Robbie ducked their head, approximating a bow. “I’m Robbie, we met at the Siege of The North, I looked human then.”

“Yes, you are.”

Robbie paced slightly. “You waterbent. I did not realize that… was a thing you could do.”

“It’s not.” Yue didn’t see a way not to explain. But shouldn’t the spirit know? “When Tui was in danger, she reached out to me. I found our connection. I practice her forces of push and pull on water, as it is natural, but… it’s not waterbending. Masters Yugoda and Pakku agreed.”

Yue. The moon. Of course she practiced the force of push and pull. The Princess was no bender, she was a spirit like the Avatar. “You bend gravity.”

“In a manner of speaking. Why do you ask.” Yue kept her voice low. She hadn’t exactly told the whole tribe of her newfound gifts. 

“I was just surprised.” Why had Robbie come? “Sokka wanted me to make sure you were alright.”

“Sokka.” Yue smiled and quickly grew melancholy. “I convinced my father to cancel my engagement with Hahn.”

“Congratulations.” Was that the wrong thing to say? It felt right.

Yue giggled. “Thank you. But you should tell Sokka that my father and I agreed, I will not court again for a while. The future is uncertain, with the world as it is, and I will not complicate it further.”

Robbie thought that sounded reasonable. Besides, they’d seen Sokka’s aura around Zuko. He would manage. “How is your tribe faring?”

“Better than it could have been. I still don’t quite understand what happened. I know that boy with the scar did some sort of bending, but…” Yue shrugged. “We’ve attributed the Fire retreat to the spirits.”

As she should. “I used Zuko’s firebending,” Robbie explained poorly. 

“Oh, cool,” Yue said. Spirits could use a human to accomplish incredible feats of large-scale precision bending. Sure. “What else can you do?”

Robbie tapped their claws on the bench. “You act like I’m a threat.” Not that they were threatening Yue, that their existence itself was a threat. They didn’t appreciate it.

“Only if you chose, I am sure.” 

If they were talking tactics, Robbie figured they might as well go right into it. “With your gravity-bending, will Agna Qel’a have troops to spare? We plan to attack Caldera on the Day of Black Sun.”

Yue hid her surprise well. “Before we consider that, we will rebuild. And I must learn gravity-bending with no teacher. So as far as I know, no. You’d have to ask my father.”

“I might.” Robbie had said the same thing to Azula. How would this princess react?

“I’m sure he’d be willing to meet with you to discuss.”

Time could not be told by the sun in the North Pole, but Robbie could feel the pull in their spirit weakening. They had to return to their body. “Some other time. It’s getting late.” 

Yue nodded. “Goodbye, then.”

Robbie forced themself into the air, whistling past their ears before they were out of the courtyard. Their heartbeat pulsed. They didn’t have a heart. They had to get back. Sea spray stuck to their claws. It only slowed them down a little, but it froze. Their feet went numb and arctic. All the better to accelerate.

The sea spray ice melted as they crossed horizon after horizon with every ever-quickening leap. They had to get back.

Islands, rock, goodbye glaciers. Green. Sunlight, sunlight, sunlight. Blue. 

Brown. Wood. Boats, in the distance. Slow, slow, slow stop. Land on the deck? The deck was solid. Down, down the stairs, the wooden stairs, blue on the walls, not ice blue not ocean blue, water tribe

Healing water, blue,

Green Earth clothes remember, disguised but fire fox-hair red orange yellow fading kept in place by the blue, healing blue, claws echo on the floor, they’re fading this is _wrong ___

__Claws draw blood on their human neck, fox forehead to smooth skin and it’s not gone yet it’s _theirs _push back into___ _

____Back._ _ _ _

____Robbie bolted upright, headbutting Katara, which made a far-too-loud knocking noise, and lay back down._ _ _ _

____“Sorry,” they both hissed._ _ _ _

____Robbie laid a paw- no, a hand- on their human neck. Ten spots stung, blood trickling to their collar. “How…”_ _ _ _

____Katara wasn’t sure whether or not to put away her water. It flickered like a blue candle as she decided, slung in between her hands as she sat back on her heels. “You, fox you, did that. You were trying to get back, but you were fading. Halfway to invisible.” Her voice did not shake. Or if it did, nobody would dare mention it. “You can’t leave for that long.”_ _ _ _

____Robbie, eyes unfocused, studied the shadows that Katara’s water cast about the room. They were in one of many hammocks, their hair matted against furs and wool blankets. It was dusk. “You’re right.”_ _ _ _

____“Where… did you go?” Katara pressed her healing water on Robbie’s neck._ _ _ _

____The water cooled the claw-marks, but they were deep, and Robbie knew they might scar. Human skin, always so desperate to rebuild itself in half-measures. “First, I went to Azula. Crown Fire Princess Azula. She, and her ally Ty Lee, are… arguably on our side. They’re both.” Was there a word? “A lot?”_ _ _ _

____“Fire and drama do go hand in hand,” Katara said._ _ _ _

____Robbie thought that was hypocritical, and that she, Azula, and Zuko were all _very much _. They did not voice that opinion. “Next, I visited Princess Yue.”___ _ _ _

______Katara blew a hair loopie out of her face, focusing on knitting together the deepest claw marks. They faded from deep red to lacy pink, but they weren’t healing all the way. The chi of Robbie’s human body wasn’t all there. Katara didn’t want to know what that meant. “You traveled from the Fire Nation to the North Pole. How much energy does that take?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Robbie tried to shrug, but the scratches on their collarbones quickly vetoed the motion. Their head spun for a second. They tried to breathe. In, out, in, out, center back in the human body. _Ow _. “I haven’t a clue. Distance, time, whatever.”___ _ _ _ _ _

________“Whatever,” Katara repeated._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yes.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The scratches weren’t closing. “What did Yue say?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Robbie tried to remember, to think beyond the flashing pain. “Her connection to the moon is allowing her to manipulate gravity. Bend it, so to speak. As she develops her powers, the North might spare some troops for the invasion.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Wow,” Katara breathed. “A whole new type of bender.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Someone in blue was at the doorway. Robbie tried to see who, but they couldn’t turn their head while Katara was trying to heal them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Did you say Yue?” Oh, it was Sokka._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah,” Robbie said, “She’s a gravity-bender because of Tui.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Did she mention me?” Sokka said it quickly, a half-tone past casual._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Robbie quirked a smile. They weren’t jealous of the easy connections humans could make, not at all. Good for them. “She said that she is no longer engaged to Hahn, but she will not court till after the war.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Katara almost lost her hold of the healing water and splashed it all over Robbie’s shirt. Robbie wasn’t even being discreet about it! “Aww, you’ve still got a crush?” Katara cooed. Teasing was childish, but hey. No way Katara’s brother would date a royal. “Sokka and Yue, sitting in an igloo, k-i-s-s-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I haven’t read that poem before,” Robbie interrupted. “Where’s it from?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________This time, Katara really did soak Robbie. Were they serious? “I dunno.” Katara bent the water out of Robbie’s shirt, drop-by-drop._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Sokka cleared his throat. “Cool. Uh, Robbie, you missed dinner, by the way. We saved you some, I’ll go get it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Wait.” Katara held up a finger, bending one-handed for a second. “Robbie, you said you met with Princess Azula?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yes.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You should probably get Zuko, then,” Katara told Sokka._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Sure.” Sokka fled the room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Katara didn’t know what to do. She was following everything Yugoda told her. Robbie’s skin just wouldn’t close. Their blood kept wicking into the water and it was turning the blue glow cloudy purple. “Why aren’t you reacting to my healing?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Because I don’t have a soul.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Are you kidding me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Robbie didn’t know that phrase, but they got the gist. “No. This body was made independent of me. Since clearly it isn’t fully connected to me after my leaving it, it wouldn’t react to a procedure reliant on chi.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“So it’s not a disease or anything. Thank Tui.” Katara rolled the water into a pinkish orb and froze it, giving up. “I’ll just get Kanut, you’ll heal the normal way.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Robbie hadn’t studied medicine since Before, since they were about seventy, but they remembered enough to feel dread._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Katara navigated her way through the hammocks and into the low-ceilinged hallway. She half-remembered the layout of the ship, and everything that was different sent shocks of nostalgia into her. The lantern used to be on that side, there used to be a nail sticking out there, she hid behind that in hide-and-seek, and Sokka could always spot the top of her head. When Sokka got two fish hooks stuck in his thumb, he ran there: Kanut’s room, on the end of the hall._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The healer’s room was the only one with a door that locked firmly, and Kanut used the lock for antisocial purposes just as often as he retreated there during battles. Of course, Kanut could fight, but if a healer went down so did everyone else. Katara wasn’t sure she’d understood that when the Aklhut left the South Pole. She knocked thrice out of habit. “Kanut?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The healer opened the door on the third knock, sidestepping Katara’s hand. “What?” Kanut’s face was as Katara remembered, wrinkled like leather into frown lines, with darkly intelligent eyes. His hair had finished going white since she’d last seen him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Katara hadn’t actually planned how to explain the situation. She thought for a second. “So, you know how Robbie was... fading?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Mhm.” Kanut wasn’t worried. Spirits were immortal, right?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I got them back, but they, as a fox, like, clawed up…” Katara gestured to the base of her own neck. “I can’t heal it, their spirit isn’t sitting right? So.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Kanut sighed heavily. He went back into his room. The walls were lined with locked cupboards and two cots were shoved into the wall, fitting just barely. On the wall, as far as possible from the oil lamp above his door, were his hammock and desk, stacked with all manner of books. He folded a page in the book currently open, and got bandages and a salve that prevented infections from the shelf marked “knife fighting”. If it wasn’t a healer’s room, the label might have been worrying. “Not one day with these kids, and a spirit slits its own throat,” he grumbled. “And not even at a normal time of day.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Katara was waiting impatiently. As soon as Kanut appeared in the hallway again, the little waterbender was pushing him to the dormitory, where she’d dumped Robbie’s unconscious body when they were off doing spirit things._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________And there they were, extra-pale, the collar of their shirt clawed to ribbons, lying there like a gruesome Sleeping Beauty, arguably minus the beauty. They sat up on one elbow when they spotted Kanut, which only caused their shredded skin to bleed more._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Tui and La, Robbie, lay down,” Katara said, and left to go collect her brother, who must’ve gotten “lost” in the kitchen._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Invoking the moon and ocean over a patient who was only a little noncompliant. Kanut respected Katara a little more. After all, was a healer really a healer if they didn’t curse excessively to cope with stress? Kanut didn’t think so._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Robbie didn’t look like someone who had been clawed from their lower neck to their collarbones. There was no real, or at least new, pain on their face, they weren’t restricting their movement or shocked. They were pale, but they'd always been. They just stared at Kanut apprehensively, their weird red eyebrows furrowing. “What’s in that?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Kanut squinted at the faded label on the small clay pot of anti-infection salve. “Garlic, vinegar, honey, and oil, as I remember.” Robbie made a grabbing motion. Kanut lifted the salve out of reach. “It’ll sting.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Robbie rolled their eyes. “I studied medicine in year seventy. I know more than you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Kanut rolled his eyes harder. It was hard to see Robbie as an immortal being. They were a pale wisp, lanky yet short by Water Tribe standards, moody in Earth-style clothes trimmed with black. And they were bleeding from ten evenly-spaced places around their neck, so Kanut had to get on with his job. “You studied medicine for one year?” He asked, just to distract them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Four months. One for injury, one for illness, one for neuroscience, one as a veterinarian.” Robbie counted the Things off on their fingers. “So just give me the bandages and such and let me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Oh, sure, the spirit with four months of med school could be left alone to treat multiple deep lacerations on their human body. The spirit that was dangerously close to bleeding all over their Tui-damned hammock. “Don’t be stupid,” Kanut said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Compared to you? Never.” Robbie had started to study Kanut’s aura. If need be, they could just find out a secret to hold over his head. That’d make him leave. It was sort of like a human resorting to violence, a spirit resorting to blackmail. Robbie wouldn’t think about that. Oh, there was something, a color in Kanut’s aura. Or was it? It really depended on the human._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Well, now the spirit was glaring at Kanut like a cornered animal, a stubborn teenage girl, and a disappointed professor, all at once. “You know I’m good at this, right?" Kanut said. "I’ve brought men from apparent death.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I’m sure you have treated men, yes,” Robbie huffed, still searching Kanut’s aura._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I could do this blind, if you would chill the hell out,” Kanut continued. “Tui and La, you’re going to bleed all over those furs.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I could blind you,” Robbie offered, one hand flexing into claws. They were completely certain of one thing, they’d sooner permanently vacate their borrowed body than let any human see it. Besides, the clawmarks didn’t even hurt that much compared to the aura of this damned ship and its war-torn passengers._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________You know what? Fine. Kanut wasn’t paid enough. He wasn’t a pediatrician, and he _hated _being threatened. He took care of the Aklhut’s crew, he’d follow Hakoda’s orders, but the chief’s daughter could handle her friend. He dumped the bandages and salve in Robbie’s hammock and put his hands up sarcastically. “Come running to me if you do it wrong.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________They would do no such thing. “Thank you.” Robbie glared daggers until Kanut left. Then, they kept glaring. If they were a firebender, they’d likely have burned the ship down sulking. And if they almost fainted from the pain while they bandaged themself up, well, that wasn’t anyone’s business. Sleep was a normal thing for humans to do, right?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________In the hallway, Katara was scolding Sokka for snacking on Robbie’s dinner and eating all their seal jerky._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well, it looks like they’re asleep, so it’s not like they need it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It’s an honor thing, you don’t just eat someone’s foo-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Honor,” Sokka snickered._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Katara laughed against her will. “Is… that allowed? Can we make honor jokes?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Just did.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Robbie huffed. “I’m not asleep,” they half-lied._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Sokka folded himself into the hammock to the left of Robbie’s and handed them some dried fruit. They didn’t look good. “Usually Kanut wraps bandages better than that.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I did it myself.” Robbie tore off a bite of fruit, appearing to impersonate a pirate. “He was all like ‘I’ve treated men before’, like first of all, I’m _sure _you have, Doctor No-Side-Of-Kyoshi-Island, and second,”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Katara interrupted Robbie’s rant. “You didn’t _say that _, did you?” It made a lot of sense, now that Katara thought back, but they couldn’t just say it.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I would’ve.” Robbie took a minute to chew the tough apricot-apple, grimacing. Was Sokka sure it wasn’t leather? Whatever. “Hate him.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“He’s a good guy.” Sokka, predictably, defended his fellow crewman._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Never said he wasn’t.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Robbie accidentally claws their neck trying to repossess their human body, which is rejecting them because of how far and long they were gone. They and Healer Kanut antagonize each other. Sokka eats most of Robbie’s dinner.
> 
> anyways be glad this chapter is posted on time, the power keeps going out and if it keeps up I am going to blast the transformer with lightning I swear, it's cold


	15. The Final Straw

Oh. It was all a daydream. A night dream? Not a nightmare, not really. Whatever Robbie called their imagined stint in the human world, it hadn’t been 750 years of After. There was no After. It was During, it was now, and there was nothing else. Robbie’d always been good at wishful thinking. Until, of course, they shattered. 

Shattered into what? There wasn’t enough of them to break.

The stone under them was cold. It never warmed up. Shouldn’t it have, after the first year? But Robbie wasn’t warm, warmth was for humans, not 101-year-old spirits. They’d never been warm. The fire that Zuko’d thrown at them in the North Pole never was. It never was, and it was all a dream. They were dissolving. Shrinking?

Their back to a bookshelf that smelled of dust and cold. Counting the cracks on the wall. There weren’t many, not until year 108, when Robbie had _made _the wall crack. They’d done it so they wouldn’t be alone in breaking.__

__Suddenly, shadows. Was it night, this fast? Time was for humans. No, there, the black-feathered obelisk, disappointed. That voice like an earthquake said that they hadn’t learned a Thing in a year, they had ten to catch up on. Robbie didn’t respond, they were frozen, always frozen. And it was disappointing, wasn’t it? They’d be replaced, wouldn’t they?_ _

__Titles were for humans, after all. Robbie couldn’t care. Who would replace them, next in line to know Ten Thousand Things?_ _

__Vixen was the new heir’s name. Vixen the second (was Robbie the first?). Vixen had started as an ordinary fox-spirit, but they were getting a name. Robbie’d gotten a name, a future and a chance at a title, but they rejected it. It didn’t fit. Was that selfish? Robbie wasn’t Robbie yet, not until After. There was no After. Vixen would replace Robbie. Next in line, there was always a line, would it ever move?_ _

__They’d never move._ _

__When was the last time they blinked?_ _

__Ever-staring._ _

__And the black feathers were gone, but it was still dark. Who cast a shadow? Had Agni given up on them too? They deserved it._ _

__The walls were closing in, weren’t they? Yes. Bookshelf scraping Robbie across the stone floor, the stone was still rough, it would be smooth when they turned 110. Would they last that long? The fog of lost souls was for humans. The wall was cracking. They weren’t cracking the wall. It would crumble down on them, bury them with no funeral. Dying was for humans, but they were lost. They couldn’t stand it, the pressure was too much, the floor and the wall and the bookshelf would grind them down before long. How long? Who counted?_ _

__Oh, and there was Vixen. Vixen was red, cherry-red, fire-red, and Robbie was only dust. Vixen would be a good replacement. Vixen the second?_ _

__Vixen was angry. Why wouldn’t Robbie move, they asked. Why couldn't Robbie act normal? Robbie couldn’t move, they couldn’t, they were trapped._ _

__That voice wasn’t Vixen’s. Robbie could listen, couldn’t they, even if they’d just forget, knowledge slipping out of their unworthy claws. The voice was real, they latched onto it. It was rough, like smoke, and warm. They were so cold._ _

__“You’ll scorch the leaves,” the voice said._ _

__And there were two voices, this one was cool, sharp, right. “How do you know? Didn’t you have servants to make tea for you?”_ _

__“Not since I was thirteen. Give me that.”_ _

__“You’ll burn yourself, it’s already boiling. Wait, no.”_ _

__“Yeah, no, I won’t.”_ _

__“Why are you even awake.”_ _

__“Wouldn’t you like to know.”_ _

__Why were they awake? Robbie wasn’t awake. The bookshelves, the walls, those weren’t now. It wasn’t During. Breaking the surface of ocean waves, and_ _

__They could breathe._ _

__Robbie’s eyes opened into half-darkness. Vixen wasn’t there, the voices they heard were Katara and Zuko. Off-balance because of the ship’s rocking, they swung themself out of their hammock and stalked around the sleeping humans. The movement strained the bandages on their neck and they winced. Fortunately, the doorframe was right there to lean on. “You are awake too?” they whispered._ _

__Zuko, visible only because of the fire cupped in one hand, scowled. “Do you want to wake up everyone else?” He clearly had a different idea than Katara did of the consequences of sneaking around._ _

__Robbie ducked their head and slipped into the hallway, where Katara was wirelessly holding a teapot by bending the tea inside of it. The shadows in the hall cast by Zuko’s fire swayed as the current rocked the Akhlut. Katara was halfway up the ladder to the deck. “Come on,” and she was not to be crossed._ _

__Instinct had Zuko and Robbie following Katara up the ladder without further complaint._ _

__And oh, wow. The salty wind blew out Zuko’s candle-flame, but the stars well made up for it._ _

__There were just so many of them. Robbie craned their neck, almost counting. There were more every second as their eyes adjusted. Foxes only looked up to howl._ _

__How could Robbie have ever thought they’d seen it all? One thousand years, one hundred and fifty wasted away, crushed, between a bookshelf and a cracked stone wall, learning Things for the rest, and they’d never imagined this. The waves turned the ship to a cradle, shushing against the hull. La was gentle tonight._ _

__And there was Tui, haloing herself in her glory and the clouds, spilling pearls of reflection over her counterpart’s waves._ _

__It all shined._ _

__Robbie would remember this, Thing or not. It didn’t matter what stone walls closed in, they could look up in human form and this was new. New after so, so long. What else was out there? They wanted to know, not for the sake of a title but for their own sake, to just see like this again._ _

__But again didn’t matter, it wasn’t the future, it is_ _

__now._ _

___The present, a gift. _Robbie had read the phrase, but dictionaries didn’t define it quite right. The present existed separate from time.__ _ _

____It made more sense this way, mindlessly._ _ _ _

____Robbie wasn’t quite weightless, they sank onto the deck, leaned back against some smooth wooden wall, felt themself go slack. Tui looked down at them. The scattering bands of stars, crossing the middle of the sky, just kept shimmering._ _ _ _

____“There’s just so many of them,” Robbie breathed. They felt their pupils try to dilate, to take more in, greedy for the old, faraway explosions above. Stars above and below, the planet was so small, wasn’t it? Weren’t they?_ _ _ _

____Robbie felt warmth, weight, pressing on their left. Katara had sat next to them, was leaning on them, careful not to touch Robbie’s bandages but had her head near Robbie’s shoulder. “Don’t spirits know the stars?” She sounded sad._ _ _ _

____The stars here, in the sea between Earth and Fire, weren’t the stars from Katara’s home, from the South Pole. There were no fading, spirit-ridden Southern Lights, there was only the mist kicked up by the ship, glowing under Tui’s light. But the Akhlut was half-home, the Water Tribe had always sailed. And Hakoda was closer than he’d been in years. Unfamiliar stars, but Katara would learn their charts._ _ _ _

____Katara knew Robbie was from a library, indoors. This was _clearly _the first time they’d occupied a human body. Robbie might’ve seen maps, maybe a planetarium, but did libraries have skylights? Katara couldn’t imagine.___ _ _ _

______“By name.” The wind brushed Robbie’s hair out of their face for them. “Not by… face, so close. It makes me wonder what other names they have.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“All just sounds. They can’t be captured like that.” Katara set the teapot in front of her, let her waterbending hold dissolve, though she still felt the moon’s power in it all. The tea wasn’t steaming anymore, not in the mist of the nighttime waves. It wouldn’t compare, after all. “Zuko, do you think this’ll scald?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Zuko, to be honest, couldn’t see shit. Sure, his singular eye would eventually adjust to the dark, but he’d been staring at his own weak firebending for the past ten minutes, and he had nearly fallen off the ladder several times. He could just barely make out the silhouettes of Robbie and Katara, sitting close together against the wall of an abovedeck room. Was that the room Sokka had mysteriously spoken with Chief Hakoda in? There was no way to confirm._ _ _ _ _ _

______Zuko began to sit across from Katara, but misjudged the ship’s tilting against the waves and toppled forward. He didn’t land on his face, but it was a close call. He slapped the deck to absorb his fall out of instinct, and to his horror, knocked the teapot over. “ _Fuck _,” he said, scrabbling to right the teapot. “Sorry.”___ _ _ _ _ _

________Katara had clearly seen him falling- lucky visually-unimpaired bastard- and steadied the teapot just in time. “Didn’t think you were clumsy.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“It’s dark out! You’d be clumsy too if you couldn’t see.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Tell that to Toph,” Robbie said, annoyingly fair._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Zuko ignored the spirit. It wasn’t hard, since he still couldn’t see the toothy smirk on their face. Anyway. He couldn’t tell the temperature of the water from where he was. He set his entire hand on the side of the teapot. Oh, ow. He didn’t move. It took some effort to spread the heat away, so it didn’t burn his hand anymore. “Yeah, I think that’s good.” Before he finished the sentence, he gave in to instinct and pulled his hand away. If it were daytime, he knew the skin on his palm would be lobster-red. Agni, what was wrong with his firebending?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Katara set the jasmine leaves to steep, finally._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Robbie was still inwardly reeling from their nightmare. They wished Vixen was there, to listen and speak and share information without the crushing auras of awkward. It was suffocating. They were speaking before they decided to. “Have you guys ever been 101?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“In years? Uh, no.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Me neither.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Good, don’t be. It’s the worst.” They pulled their knees to their chest, wishing humans could curl up properly, like foxes could._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Maybe it was just because Agni wasn’t watching. Firebending was always weaker at night, right? He’d always been good at wishful thinking. “You ever been thirteen?” Zuko asked Robbie._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Spirits, yes.” Year thirteen was… poetry, taxonomy, arithmetic, vexilollogy, map-reading. Five more Things, but Robbie didn’t remember them all. That was a pattern, for the years Before. “It’s so much.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Cheers, I’ll drink to that,” Katara said, pointing to the tea. “It’s steeped long enough, right?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“One solar degree.” Zuko could still feel what degree Agni was. If he couldn’t, that would mean his firebending was all the way gone. Agni, he didn’t want to think about that. “It’s good.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Katara poured three teacups. She sipped hers. It wasn’t scorched at all. “Wait, you were right, it is good.” Katara didn’t want to compliment the (former) evil prince, but she wasn’t a liar. Zuko made better tea than she did. “When I make it… well, you know what they say. If you can’t handle defeat, get out of the kitchen.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Robbie quietly corrected “Though language might have changed since I studied it last, I believe the phrase is ‘if you can’t handle the heat’.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Same thing,” Zuko shot._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Robbie whispered to Katara “Is he joking?” Usually, Robbie could rely on auras to tell, but they’d taken to avoiding Zuko’s aura. It hurt to look at, scorching, volatile, and shielded. Twisted, though they’d never tell._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah, I think he is,” Katara said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Sorry, I shouldn’t’ve said that.” Zuko took a sip of tea to hide whatever expression his face might make._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Robbie thought through the joke. The heat, defeat, it rhymed. Fire, which was hot, caused defeat. “No, it was funny. In a dark way. You know.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You’re not laughing,” Katara pointed out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Well, that’s on me,” Robbie said, a beat slow._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________And there the silence went, awkward as ever. The waves shushed, the boat rocked, the moon disapproved of their social skills. So Zuko did what he did best: talk about his uncle. “My uncle loves tea jokes. He had one… I forgot the setup, but the punchline was ‘leaf me alone, I’m bushed’.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Oh, and _now _Robbie laughed. “That’s not a very good joke,” though their wheeze said the contrary.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It’s funny when he tells it,” Zuko defended. “Besides, what judge are you of funny?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Robbie snapped their fingers. Zuko flinched back, seeing the moon reflect on their talonlike nails. As far as Zuko knew, Robbie had caused whatever was under their bandages with those nails. He was grateful for the grayscale moonlight, which couldn’t betray any gruesome dark red remaining on Robbie._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“That’s Thing Six of year Thirteen!” Robbie said, oblivious to Zuko. “I learned Humor.” And the memory of some of their favorite jokes returned. That was before they’d realized humans weren’t actually all evil. They cringed, remembering the lighthearted, threatening phrases. “You know, it might be better that I forgot that one.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“How many Things do you learn a year?” Katara asked, just to make conversation._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________It was just information. Why did Robbie want to withhold it? They were no elitist, humans could learn whatever they wanted. Their breath wasn’t supposed to catch and hurt in their chest, was it? They didn’t know. Breathing was rather new to them. “Up till 100, I learned ten a year. From 250 up till now, it's been twelve a year, though this last Thing will take longer than a month, I think.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What about from 100 to 250?” Zuko asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________What did he think Robbie was having nightmares about?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Wait. He was innocent, Robbie shouldn’t feel angry. They wouldn’t show it, at least. They smiled, making sure not to show their teeth. “Nothing.” And Robbie hoped nobody took it quite as literally as they meant it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Katara knew that nothing was ever nothing, but she wasn’t about to antagonize a spirit. Even an injured one. Did cornered foxes bite? She filed that _nothing _away for the future. 150 years of anything had to be significant, but anything a knowledge spirit wouldn’t share must be essential.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Zuko was smart enough to figure that those 150 years had something to do with the one thing Robbie didn’t miss about their Library, Wan Shi Tong. He couldn’t imagine spending that long with anyone, especially not someone he hated. He wouldn't be surprised if Robbie was telling the truth, that they’d gone on strike and literally learned nothing. But 150 years was a hefty slice of forever._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Robbie was looking exceedingly uncomfortable. Zuko searched for a subject to change to, and landed on the stars. “Every star is just as powerful as Agni.” The Fire Sages had always watched the sky, and he’d had the obligatory astronomy phase at the age of ten. “And the closest one, besides Agni, takes four years for its light to reach the earth.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Astronomy was one of Robbie’s favorites. They’d helped build the planetarium in the Library, the moving three-dimensional map of the sky that had told them when the Day of Black Sun was. Vixen had planned it, Robbie had fit the moving gears together. “Starfire isn’t really fire.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Really?” Maybe that was why Zuko’s bending was so weak that tea could burn him. It was just nighttime. If the stars weren’t really of his element…_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“It’s more like lightning.” Robbie shifted into a more comfortable position against the wooden wall. “They’re both plasma, hot air. But lightning is yin and yang separated, and stars are so big that they press yin and yang together. That makes… heat, explosions… but not quite fire.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Oh. Cool.” Combustion was fire, really, so that was one more excuse Zuko couldn’t use. Maybe he just wasn’t as good a firebender as he’d thought._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Katara knew the words Robbie and Zuko were saying, but for the life of her couldn’t get the meaning. “Is that what passes for bedtime stories in the Library and Fire Nation? Exchanging cool science facts?” Oh, oops, that sounded harsh._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Zuko asked “What are bedtime stories?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________Damn it. ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Damn it all to Koh’s cave and then some. Katara _seethed _. This was the final straw? A lack of bedtime stories was the final barrel of blasting jelly on the dam that held back the inevitable: Katara felt sorry for the prince of the Fire Nation. Katara popped the cork on her bending waterskin and closed it again. The prince who the spirits themselves (maybe just a spirit themself) favored, who fought off Jet with mercy and without fire, who had too many scars over his (Fire) blood to be accidents and had yelled when Sokka brought the most obvious one up, but apologized later, one step behind. Cork, uncork. Who had said he was half-blind but seemed to try so hard, all the time, that it didn’t show. Katara pitied the prince who had chased Aang around the world (because he was banished and had to regain the honor that he never defined). It didn’t matter how many gold-bound theatre scrolls Zuko might’ve owned (before being banished) if nobody had read them to him before he knew how. Cork, uncork, don’t waterbend. Yet.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Katara had learned to hate because the Fire Nation (one cruel soldier from the Fire Nation) had murdered her mother. When Katara’s mother was alive, though, she taught her to be kind. Had anyone taught Zuko?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________One thing was for sure: the Firelord hadn’t. It wasn’t fair._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Katara,” Robbie said quietly, “you’re burning me.” Katara’s aura was wind, seafaring, storming wind that bit and sanded and picked up what it didn’t weather away. Robbie could stand it for a little while, when it wasn’t so much. But the wind had picked up with Zuko’s question and it felt like Robbie’s skin should be raw and their muscles would all slide down to the deck if they didn’t tense tight enough. It hurt, it stung and ached and burned._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Katara shifted to lean on the wall, to stop touching Robbie. She didn’t think she had pressed on Robbie’s bandages, and she definitely hadn’t waterbent, but she had been thinking pretty hard. “I didn’t realize.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________For a second, Robbie wondered why Katara had moved. Had they offended her? But there was just a hint of confusion in her aura, and _oh _. Katara thought she’d physically burned Robbie somehow. They could almost laugh. If only they were that normal, that human. “I didn’t mean…” For the second time that night, words stuck in Robbie’s bandaged throat. “You’re angry, in an ancient way. I can feel it in your aura. It hurts.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________What an awful explanation. Mumbling, unclear intent and irrelevant observations. Robbie would give themself a failing grade. Just like they’d failed at everything in those 150 years. “Never mind. It’s my problem, not yours.” They braced their hand against the wall, gathered their feet under them, and stood up. It only hurt a little more. Their bones were too heavy, rigid, and their skin was the wrong size and they shook. The ship rocked, no longer a cradle but a bucking animal. “I’ll go back to sleep.” Though sleep was a dark realm of confusion and bad memories. Would they make it down the ladder in one piece? There was only one letter’s difference between fall and fail._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Katara watched, dismayed, as Robbie struggled to their feet. Leaning on their arm like that would stretch their bandages, didn’t that hurt? Did Robbie know how to express pain other than a statement of fact?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________You know what? Fuck Master Pakku and the whole Nothern Water Tribe, Katara was both a warrior and a healer, and she should act like it. Like a leader, like her father. “Wait,” she told Robbie, reaching out. “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.” She closed her eyes, though it didn’t make much difference in the dark, and examined her own mind. She didn’t think she was _radiating _anger, at least. “Am I good now?”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Not by Wan Shi Tong’s standards, but then again, who was? Only Vixen, and Wan Shi Tong didn’t care what Vixen did with their aura. “Yes, you are.” Robbie sank back down, glad to not be so unsteady. The storm of Katara’s aura had been tamed, less the screaming tundra wind that turned snow to spears and more the breeze that made ships sail. No wonder she was so close to Aang, if he was the last airbender, the only one who could bend her windswept aura. Maybe that was what a soulmate meant. “Thanks.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Zuko wouldn’t say it, but he agreed with Robbie. If Katara was angry, she had a right to be. She hated the Fire Nation and didn’t want Zuko on her family’s ship. If you can’t handle the heat (or defeat), don’t kidnap a firebender and antagonize a waterbender. Anger burned, that was how it was. But how much? “What degree?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Wind didn’t burn like fire. Auras didn’t leave a mark. Robbie could estimate, though. “Probably first.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________An aura that burned first degree? Zuko knew a phrase that Earth peasants used… what was it? Oh, right. Rookie numbers. But he saw how Robbie’s form, a dark silhouette with fiery hair, all washed out by Tui, slumped. They were exhausted. Maybe a thousand years added up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Maybe tonight was the final straw._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Under the cool stars and the salvaged moon, the air tasting of salt and mist, three small shadows converged to learn something new. A girl’s soft voice, speaking her grandmother’s words, enraptured a spirit and a flickering firebender._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Now listen. Once upon a time…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> raise ur hand if you, too, had an astronomy phase at the age of ten. It’s more relatable than one might think. Also, it’s gonna be a recurring theme that people want to adopt Zuko. just Because. We’ll return to the regularly scheduled political intrigue next chapter.
> 
> oh also be grateful, I actually did Math to figure out how long a solar degree was. (24 hours in one day times 60 minutes in an hour divided by 360 degrees of revolution around the sun means one solar degree is four minutes). If I'm wrong, sue me, I did Mock Trial once so I'm not afraid of the law


	16. There Is No Mai In Ba Sing Se

Mai had two ostrich-horses. She was riding one, the other was carrying her stuff. Her knives were safely tucked beneath her green sleeves. She shielded her eyes with one hand and pulled her ostrich-horses to a stop with the other.

Halfway between Omashu- New Ozai- and Ba Sing Se, she had left her chaperones (read: armed guards) behind to travel in stealth. That was why she was dressed like an elderly refugee, off to reunite with her husband in the big city, or something. Azula usually made up the cover stories. 

The Impenetrable City, a green-ringed target on Mai’s map, was massive. It didn’t have cliffs surrounding it like New Ozai, but its walls might as well have been natural cliffs, with all the earthbending it must’ve taken to sand them tall and smooth. She imagined that the long shadows inside the city, turning dawn and dusk knife-sudden, would be just like those in Caldera. She hoped that Azula was there to meet her. 

There was a long line of people waiting to enter the city. Mai did not join the line. Azula didn’t wait in lines, and neither did anyone else who thought themself important. Mai pulled on the reins of her ostrich-horse, ignoring the jealous looks of the travelers on foot and trying to stay inconspicuous. “Yu, Yan, heel,” she ordered her curious ostrich-horses. “We’re going this way.”

Yan finished sniffing a green-swaddled child and trailed after Mai, tripping over a rock on the way. “This is why you’re the pack horse,” Mai grumbled. Yan did not reply, because it was a horse, though its feelings might have been hurt.

Mai picked her way through fields and dirt-packed roads under the looming sandy-colored Outer Wall. If she was wrong, and the only entrance was the refugee one, she’d have wasted her afternoon, but she was never wrong. 

On the other side of the city was a road that had been earthbent smooth, the tracks of expensive carriage wheels worn into the limestone. And there, where the road met the wall, was an opulent green carriage drawn by golden-white ostrich-horses. There to greet the wealthy guest were three people.

Two men in official forest-green robes, with sleeves long enough to hide bendable earth. Circular hats that shaded their eyes, hid their faces in threatening shadow. Police.

Was this guest in danger? A controversial political figure, or a wealthy criminal? A magnet for assassins, or an assassin themself?

Mai smoothly dismounted Yu. She didn’t want to be caught seeing something she shouldn’t have. She couldn't fight two earthbending cops. Well, she couldn’t win, at least. 

_Agni damn it, Yan! _Mai yanked the head of the ostrich-horse back. It shouldn’t be hard for the three of them to hide in a crevice of the wall, if the horses didn’t give her away. Yan reluctantly sank onto the dusty ground, waiting. Mai peeked around the wall, holding onto the corner so tightly that the grain of the stone imprinted into her fingers. Imagine if she got calluses from eavesdropping. So doubly unladylike, her mother might have a heart attack.__

__The third greeter looked like a woman. Her smile had not faltered the whole time Mai had been watching, though her eyes seemed to twitch in pain. Mai had a feeling that if she were close enough, she could see the woman’s pupils dilate._ _

__“Hello, my name is Joo Dee,” the smiling woman said, cheerful but flat. “Welcome to Ba Sing Se.”_ _

__Why did Mai have the feeling that Joo Dee’s name was not Joo Dee?_ _

__And the noble in the carriage replied, softly so Mai wasn’t quite sure, “There is no war in Ba Sing Se.”_ _

__Joo Dee’s smile relaxed, ever so slightly. “Good.”_ _

__At her word, the cops opened an archway in the wall. Mai’s ostrich-horses, Yu and Yan, whimpered at the sound. They were raised in the Fire Nation, unused to earthbenders. Mai felt a little guilty, though it was her father’s fault for uprooting her from the earthbender-free Fire Nation to rule a boring (dangerous) new colony._ _

__Joo Dee and the carriage entered the city. The two cops stayed guarding. A similarly dressed woman took Joo Dee’s place._ _

__Mai was tempted to try to sneak in with the noble, but she wouldn’t leave Yu and Yan. Who knew when she’d return. So she tried to get comfortable, sitting back against Yu’s belly, and waited._ _

__And waited._ _

__The sun was going down when another carriage crested the horizon. It approached quickly, not in a rush but simply with strong, expensive ostrich-horses. Mai was only a little jealous._ _

__Finally, it clip-clopped to where the cops and the replacement woman waited._ _

__The woman approached the curtained window of the carriage. Smiling. “Hello, my name is Joo Dee.” A rehearsed pause in a mirrored-flat inflection. “Welcome to Ba Sing Se.”_ _

__“There is no war in Ba Sing Se,” the noble said, half-terrified and half-relieved to return to the city._ _

__And in they went, and then came _another _smiling woman.___ _

____Mai couldn’t impersonate an Earth noble with her dusty clothes and carraigeless horses. It didn’t matter how many wars she denied. But she could, provided the dusk hid the gold in her eyes, impersonate a woman following a script._ _ _ _

____Mai almost laughed to herself, though she never laughed. Impersonate. Yeah._ _ _ _

____Because Joo Dee wasn’t a name, it was a title, and it meant that nobles feared you, peasants looked the other way, and police worked with you. Mai could work with that._ _ _ _

____Mai untied the ribbons sectioning her hair and rolled it on top of her head, the same way all the Joo Dees had. She thought it looked a bit like a scroll, but whatever. Earth people were strange, so were their hairstyles. She rummaged through the pack on Yan’s back for a scarf, and tied it around her neck professionally. Finally, she unsheathed a knife. It made Mai’s favorite sound, a shushed, snakelike hiss. Comforting._ _ _ _

____And checked her reflection in the knife. This was the hardest part. Mai bit her lips, trying to make them red like the lip paint Joo Dees wore. Massaged her cheeks and smiled._ _ _ _

____Agni, it looked awful. Just a little crooked and on the manic side of pained._ _ _ _

____She tried again. And again, until her face muscles hurt and it was right._ _ _ _

____She relaxed a little, just to let her face recover until it stopped burning. Then, in her bladed reflection, smiled once more and sheathed the knife. That hiss was the sound of disappointment, of vulnerability and disguises._ _ _ _

____“Yu. Yan.”_ _ _ _

____Mai’s ostrich horses got to their feet. Mai led them both on the smooth road, the clacking of their talon-hooves masking the sound of her expensive steel-toed shoes. The cops got into a bending stance. Mai took a breath._ _ _ _

____“Hello. My name is Joo Dee.” She said it at the same time as Joo Dee, for intimidation purposes. This was Mai’s turf now. She was the alpha Joo Dee. She drew herself up to her full height, which wasn’t tall, but hopefully it showed her (false) confidence._ _ _ _

____“Oh, you must be back from your vacation at Lake Laogai!” Joo Dee said. Was she… pitying Mai, under that Agni-forsaken smile?_ _ _ _

____“Yes, of course. It was relaxing,” Mai lied, as cheerfully as one could when alone in an unfamiliar city, confronted with secret police and somebody who put the _lie _in smile. “May I come in?”___ _ _ _

______The cops opened the arch with a few sharp punches. Mai tugged on Yan’s reins before she took a step. She’d heard the Joo Dees walk, they all wore soft-soled shoes. The smallest things always gave people away, so Mai disguised her footsteps with her horses’._ _ _ _ _ _

______The city swallowed her whole._ _ _ _ _ _

______~~~_ _ _ _ _ _

______Toph couldn’t sleep. Maybe it was because of the racket Fireboy, Watergirl, and Guru had made. Couldn’t they have their little bonding sleepover a little quieter? Honestly._ _ _ _ _ _

______Maybe it was because she was in a strange ship, in the ocean, miles from land and home, traveling with the Avatar, without her parents’ permission. If they’d _wanted _her to ask permission, maybe they could’ve let her do literally anything else? But no, she was the ladylike little fragile blind girl, and she was sick of it. So she was off to kill some firebenders. Or maybe just beat them up really bad.___ _ _ _ _ _

________She imagined going back home after winning the war. “You’re welcome,” she’d say, glorious with bare feet, getting mud all over the fancy painted tile, lounging on her favorite soft chair without worrying if she had changed into her dress yet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________And her mother would say “You’re right, young ladies can be as uncouth as they want, because you’re the greatest earthbender in the world.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________And her father would relax his heartbeat back down and maybe even smile, though Toph didn’t know what that looked like, and he’d say “my daughter is so tough, she saved the whole Beifong estate from the war’s economic recession!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________All she had to do was win the war. All she had to do was teach Twinkletoes to face things head-on and be just as solid as her. Even though he was an airbender, and they were both twelve, and he had to fight the leader of the Fire Nation. Toph could probably beat the Loserlord, but that was Twinkletoes’ job, so she didn’t have to, and she wasn’t relieved about that at all. The Blind Bandit never forfeited._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The Blind Bandit also couldn’t sleep because the boat was wooden and loud and there was only salt, no real dirt to bend with, and it looked to her like a big tub made of fishing net. Fishing net made of coal-pitch, and that wasn’t real dirt either. She’d manage, though. She was the greatest earthbender in the world._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________You know what? The Blind Bandit didn’t need a bedtime. She’d explore the ship, and nobody could stop her. She swung out of her (too-hot too-high too far from the floor and the earth) hammock and landed solidly on the sanded-smooth wood floor. Nobody made a peep._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The ship had less rooms than Toph’s house. There was the dormitory, where all the hard-to-spot hammocks full of big warriors slept, where Toph couldn’t sleep. On the other side of the hallway was the hold. It had a bunch of heavy boxes. Next to that, probably using its side as a pantry, was a kitchen (a galley?). There was a stove, it was metal, not real dirt. Toph didn’t need a midnight snack, so she kept looking. At the end of the hallway was a room with a real, heavy door. It had shelves and two real, though thin, beds and a desk. That must be the infirmary._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Well. Nothing cool there._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________There was a ladder leading up to a trapdoor. That was where Fireboy, Watergirl, and Guru had climbed. Toph didn’t want to run into them, but maybe things were cooler abovedecks. She made her way down the hallway, stepping on the cracks in between floorboards as if the coal-pitch was the only solid thing in the world. The waves rolled like a never-ending earthquake, and Toph didn’t like it one bit. She had to keep one hand on the wall. Sometimes, there were lanterns. Sometimes, there were furs, and Toph had to pause and pull away every time she touched one, to remember that the cold furs weren’t corpses. One foot, in front of the other, again and again and finally, again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Toph latched onto the ladder, two smooth wooden poles with slabs, or planks, that made a mockery of stairs. She didn’t want to climb it. The boat was rocking, and there was no coal-pitch or salt, and what could be on the deck anyway? Nothing as cool as Toph, that was for sure._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The Blind Bandit wasn’t a quitter. She put one bare foot up on a flat rung. The floors in her house were stone, they were always cold at night, which made sneaking out a chilly endeavor. Wood didn’t really have any temperature. That was a plus, right? She stood on the first rung and felt around for the second. The boat rocked once, twice, and in the pause between, she pulled herself up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Second rung, third, fourth, fifth, hold on tight. She felt above her head. There was the trapdoor. It had more salt on it than anything else belowdecks, probably because it was left open in daytime. She gave it a push. It did not budge. She pushed harder, because there were no other angles in earthbending. It budged all at once, made a noise between a creak and a crack. Toph shrugged. If it was broken, Toph would just blame it on Watergirl._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________One more rung, and Toph could snake onto the deck. Well, snake was too graceful a word. She folded herself into a sort-of bow and flopped, belly-down, on the deck, feeling the coal-pitch between the planks with her chin. Then she twisted and put one knee, then the other, so she was crouching like a badgermole. That ordeal finished, she got unsteadily to her feet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The boat tilted._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________She stubbed her toe._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Ow! She hissed and hopped around some, which didn’t help her balance._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________At least the air smelled the same as it did back home. Gaoling was a port town, but Toph had never been allowed to travel. Freedom and confinement both smelled like salt._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Abovedecks, there was only one room. It had a desk and a chair. Maybe an office? Probably the captain’s cabin. The captain, the chief, was Watergirl and Boomerang's father, and seemed too boring and rule-following to have raised either of them, which was saying something._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________There was weight near one wall of the cabin. Toph crept closer and heard breathing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Oh, it was Watergirl, Fireboy, and Guru, fallen asleep on each other like badgermole kits. Toph was tempted to wake them up, maybe spook them a little, but they seemed so peaceful despite their climbing-and-falling heartbeats. They were probably all navigating through nightmare-laced dreams. Toph was glad they had each other for that. The Blind Bandit didn’t need anyone, but other kids might._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Toph realized that she’d been dragging her blanket with her. The Blind Bandit didn’t need to carry around a blanket when it was chilly at night. She found the edges of the blanket and shook it out like she knew her servants did, and set it on top of the unconscious kids. She knew Fireboy was a firebender, but he didn’t seem to firebend much. He hadn’t come with her when she tried to teach Twinkletoes earthbending back in Gaoling. Maybe it was tiring. He shouldn’t have to keep Watergirl and Guru warm all by himself. So. Blanket._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Badgermole kit impersonators taken care of, Toph continued wandering._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Huh. Toph had thought that weight on the back of the ship was just sailing stuff, but it was shifting, and not to the waves. Shifting like breathing, an animal the size of a room. The sky bison that Toph escaped from Gaoling on. She supposed she should thank it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________She approached the bison from the front. It probably wasn’t asleep, but she knew not to startle animals, especially ones that could bend. She’d been buried alive in a badgermole den a couple too many times. The bison groaned in acknowledgement of her. She took that as an invitation to wedge herself between its head and first leg._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Sky bison fur was at least a foot thick and twice as soft as badgermole fur. Toph guessed that flying fast acted as sort of a hairbrush, smoothing out its fur with the direction of the wind. Badgermoles needed their hair to be hard armor to protect them from stalactites and sharp earth, but bisons only needed to stay warm._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Maybe that was why Twinkletoes didn’t stand his ground. He, like his bison, didn’t have armor to protect him from the earth._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Toph felt very small, but in a good way. It didn’t matter that the ship was hard to see on, and the salt in the air made the salt on the floor into fuzzy lines. The bison would warn her with another of its rumbling noises if anything tried to sneak up on her, and it was just so soft._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“So,” she said, a little awkward, “you like flying?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________It rumbled._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah, that’s cool.” Toph bent some salt crystals between her fingers. “I bet you don’t like sailing. I don’t.” She supposed its immobility was answer enough. An animal that liked to sail would not be laying on its belly, all six of its legs splayed out around it. It would probably prefer to fly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Toph tried to remember the bison’s name. The Water Tribe sailors had been calling it grandpa, but that didn’t seem right. Papa? “Appa.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________It quaked like a fuzzy earth._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah, your name is Appa.” Toph crossed her legs so one foot was off the ground. “I don’t think I told you yet, I’m Toph.” She liked her name. If she didn’t, she would have changed it. “It’s a type of sandstone.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Appa didn’t seem to care much about sandstone. Understandable, for an airbending animal._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You’re not very chatty, are you?” Toph asked. When the bison didn’t answer, she blew her bangs out of her face and half-smiled. “That’s cool.” In her experience, chatty was for Earth Rumble losers and suck-up nobles. She was okay with silence._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Until, of course, her earthsense felt the fluttering weight of who could only be Twinkletoes sneaking abovedecks to check on his bison, because Toph couldn’t have nice things._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Isn’t it past your bedtime,” Toph asked the floor, not bothering to find the fluttery target of her words._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh, hey, Toph.” Twinkletoes had apparently chosen to sit on Appa’s back, where Toph couldn’t see him at all. Annoying little Avatar. “Appa likes you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Toph was glad that a ten-ton bending animal had no grudge against her. “I like that he’s not one of those furs on the wall.” She’d never admit that furs felt like animal corpses, and especially never that they creeped her out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah, me too.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh, yeah. You’re a vegan, right?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Vegetarian,” Twinkletoes corrected automatically._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Toph remembered Twinkletoes’ first earthbending lesson. He always chickened out. Maybe he would stand his ground with this? “Same thing.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“No, it’s not. Vegans don’t eat any animal products-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Toph waved a hand. “Blah, blah.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________And he took a weird little meditation breath and wasn’t mad at all. “Toph.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Aang,” she parroted._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You remember my name?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Toph scoffed. Earnestness? Right in front of her bending salt? Disgusting.  
“Duh. Only because it’s weird.” _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________A whoosh of air implied that Twinkletoes was doing some fidget-bending of his own. “We know someone that’s literally named after a bird, and you think Aang is weird?” He extended the olive-branch of banter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Robbie probably named themself, it’s not their fault they didn’t know how to.” Toph really was better at smack talk than banter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Well, I like your name.” Ugh. The earnestness, again?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Thanks, I got it for my birthday.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________It took Twinkletoes a second to understand Toph’s genius, but when he did, he ignored gravity to have a laugh._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Toph bent salt into the shape of a star, then a blob, then a square. When the Avatar’s team barged into her house in Gaoling, Boomerang and Watergirl wanted to leave her there as soon as they saw her. Twinkletoes had gone with whatever Watergirl said. Guru knew that they were the greatest earthbender in the world, but they were a spirit, and kind of boring. Toph bet they liked to read for fun, instead of doing anything cool like fighting. Fireboy was the interesting one. “Zuko said he was banished. Why?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“He never said.” Twinkletoes seemed way too chill to be saying “he tried to capture me, you know, to give me to the Fire Nation. A lot. Something about honor. I guess it’s a royalty thing, but he always seemed really mad about it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Royalty?” That would explain it, if he knew how stifling it was to be born into a life like a thing on display at a museum._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah, he’s a prince.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Cool.” Toph got the context there. A Fire Prince could only be the son or brother of the Firelord. Toph had agreed to help Twinkletoes kill the Firelord. Twinkletoes was probably worried that if she was willing to kill the Firelord she’d be willing to kill a Fire Prince. She wasn’t, though._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________When Toph was nine, she didn’t have a reputation at the Earth Rumbles yet. She was still the best, but not everybody got that. That was why she’d been told to fight a rookie, a boy about twelve years old. Rookie wasn’t that good. He moved like Toph would actually kill him, or like somebody had already tried. She’d won the fight, of course, and nobody would dare call her gentle, but she didn’t pummel Rookie into the ground when it was clear someone else had got to him first. After the fight, Rookie had told her he was sorry he wasn’t a good opponent, and wanted to go right back into the ring and fight someone else. He needed the money, because he was running away._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Toph had been a little jealous of the adventure Rookie was sure to have. Looking back, she should’ve felt sorry for him. Either way, she’d let him have her winnings from the night. Toph was nothing if not rich, she didn’t need them. Rookie wasn’t a bad opponent, he was brave, and it wasn’t his fault the Blind Bandit was undefeated._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________When Toph had punched Rookie in the arm to say goodbye, he’d frozen rigid, like a lizard-deer in headlights. Most people didn’t do that, and Toph never forgot the way her Earth Rumble opponents moved. When Toph had punched Fireboy in the arm, he’d felt exactly like Rookie._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________So Toph wondered. Was Fireboy banished, or was he running away?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________~~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Mai had lied her way to the Middle Ring. Nobody looked too long at a Joo Dee smile, even when said Joo Dee had no passport and two ostrich-horses that took up half a train car. This was the right disguise, all right._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________It was dark out. Mai’s mother had taught her that ladies did not walk alone at night, and no, Yu and Yan did not count as chaperones. Mai counted the knives under her sleeves and the men on the street, especially the ones in groups, especially the ones outside of bars._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Knives didn’t do anything against earthbending. A real Joo Dee had all but told Mai that the police, the Dai Li, were earthbenders, and they protected Ba Sing Se’s culture, not its people. Not its young ladies walking two ostrich-horses, alone at night. Where was Azula’s messenger?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The Lower Ring had smelled of rot and worse. The Middle Ring smelled the same, but less strongly, and occasionally there was fresh fruit, or low-quality flowers, or street food, being sold, though most merchants were packing up for the night. Mai didn’t have time to lie her way to the Upper Ring. If she wasn’t afraid, she’d be tired._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Mai’s mother had taught her that if she was lost, she had to first look for police. The Dai Li would not help Mai. Then she had to look for public places. The street was clearing, though, and there were more shadows than people. Then she had to look for women with children, or groups of elderly women. Mai could see neither._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Mai started walking faster, avoiding puddles in the cobblestones. Yan lagged behind. She gave its reins a tug. Yu huffed in defense of its counterpart. Mai didn’t have time for her ostrich-horses to be dramatic. She had to keep her head down and not be seen._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Would she have to find an inn on her own? She shuddered at the thought._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Lamplight spilled onto the street in front of her. A shop, not closed up yet. Mai sped up even more, her footsteps cracked against the cobblestone and she hoped nobody heard. It didn’t matter what the shop sold, it was a place out of the dark, Mai had enough money to buy a souvenir or something._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________She pushed the door open, cringing at the sound the little bell made._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Inside, sweeping the wooden floor in between empty tables, was an old man. “Unfortunately, we’re closed for the night…” he said with a voice that used to orchestrate war._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“General Iroh?” Mai stood in the doorway, so relieved she wanted to cry. Her face remained blank._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Mai didn’t know Iroh all that well, but the only time she remembered him looking so solemn was when he returned to Caldera, after the siege of Ba Sing Se. He may have been sweeping the floor of a tea shop, wearing a green apron, but he’d never resembled his brother in his resolve and power, more. The Iroh Mai remembered from her childhood had been trying to set a good example for Azula and Zuko. Mai knew with sudden clarity that he had held back when he besieged Ba Sing Se, because the man before her could take Caldera if he chose._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Iroh bowed shallowly and made the sign of the flame. The lamp in the corner brightened. “Lady Mai.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i might be writing a zukka and katazula ba sing se fic with ao3 user finwiley so keep an eye out for that :)


	17. Tabled Games

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I forgot to post a chapter last week so I'm posting two chapters today because I'm terribly organized. Cope. <3

Mai did not know how to make tea. In New Ozai, and in the Fire Nation, she had servants that made tea for her. Explaining that to Iroh had not stopped him from planting her behind a cash register close after dawn, expecting her to take orders from the customers of a tea shop that Iroh didn’t even own, while the general himself played pai sho with suspicious old people.

Mai did not know how to make tea, and she _especially _did not know how to do customer service. If one more man asked her to smile, she’d… she didn’t know what she’d do, because the stupid green uniform she had been given was short-sleeved, and while that showed off her arm muscles nicely, it also meant she could not hide her knives. She’d be fine with keeping her knives in plain sight, but apparently that was bad etiquette. She channeled Joo Dee and wished she could have some calming jasmine tea for herself.__

__There was a fly buzzing in the rafters. Mai hoped that it got stuck in the spiderwebs that were being spun in the rafters and corners, too. Where were the archers that her ostrich-horses had been named for when she needed them? Yu and Yan only attracted flies, they couldn’t pin one to a tree without killing it. Mai, however, if only she had her agni-damned _knives _...___ _

____The stupid bell on the door rang, piercingly, cheerfully high. In came a woman towing four horribly-undisciplined children and a book club. Iroh, along with his suspicious new friends, was already using the only table that would fit all of them. If the woman, Ka Rin according to her shrill book club partners, left her children at another table, Mai might riot. Or she’d just get Iroh to scare them off. He was, after all, scary to anyone observant._ _ _ _

____Mai suspected Ka Rin was not observant._ _ _ _

____Her suspicion was confirmed when Ka Rin ordered a pot of chilled plain tea with lemon._ _ _ _

____“What do you mean by plain,” Mai asked, perfectly calm. “Black tea?”_ _ _ _

____“No,” Ka Rin said, turning a bit red under her caked make-up powder, “I mean plain tea.”_ _ _ _

____“Behind me,” Mai pointed behind and above her, “is the types of tea we serve. I could recommend one, if you’d like.” By recommend, Mai meant pick one at random and hope it didn’t taste like poison. Or hope it did. Foxglove was spicy, Mai had heard, and lantana berries were pleasantly sweet._ _ _ _

____“Everyone knows what plain tea is, you serve it. Are you stupid?” Her garishly pink lips twisted with the words._ _ _ _

____Mai did not have knives on her arms. She did have one knife on her belt, which she used more often as a mirror than a weapon. If Ka Rin would like, Mai would gladly use her mirror-knife to show her which one of them was stupid. “Do you mean tea with no leaves? Because that’s just water.”_ _ _ _

____“I mean plain tea!”_ _ _ _

____The only giveaway of Mai’s murderous intent was the pink on her ears and her dangerously steady hands. “Ma’am, if you’ll wait here for a moment, I’ll just get my uncle. Maybe he knows what you mean.”_ _ _ _

____“Do not leave me waiting, I will leave a review in the Ba Sing Day paper,” Ka Rin threatened._ _ _ _

____Mai, shockingly, did not care. She walked out from behind the counter in three perfectly calculated steps and made her way over to Iroh’s table. What would Mai do if there was a child right in front of her? Push it over, of course, and blame it on Ka Rin. It was a good thing Ka Rin’s children avoided Mai. Some primal self-preservation instinct, probably._ _ _ _

____As Mai made her way weaving between tables and seats that had been left not-pushed-in, she caught the tail end of a conversation at Iroh’s table._ _ _ _

____“...and we cannot manage that if we do not take control of the Dai Li, grand lotus.” It was said by a spider-thin old man who moved the white lotus tile._ _ _ _

____Mai didn’t enjoy pai sho, but she knew how to play. There was no tile, and no maneuver, called the Dai Li. However, there _was _a secret police force called the Dai Li. There was no tile called the Grand Lotus, but there might have been a title, because Iroh seemed to respond to it. At best, it meant Iroh was a master at board games and liked to talk politics.___ _ _ _

______The best case scenario didn’t usually happen when a _retired _Fire Nation general who had lost his son in Ba Sing Se talked politics.___ _ _ _ _ _

________If Iroh planned to take the city, Mai couldn’t stop him. She didn’t think she would want to. She saw the peasants in New Ozai after it was taken, she saw the refugees in the Lower Ring and outside, waiting for days in line to get in. The war had to end, and the Dai Li didn’t serve or protect._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Besides, Mai needed Iroh to help her and Azula find Zuko before the Avatar hurt him. Time was surely running out, Zuko wouldn’t know diplomacy if it stabbed him with a throwing knife. He’d set fire to blasting jelly if it questioned his honor._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________(Mai hadn’t seen Zuko in person since the Agni Kai, but he used to send her letters. Azula made a game of counting how many times he wrote the word honor in each one. It was never a very fun game, especially when the letters slowly stopped coming. Azula had never shown Mai the letters she got from Zuko, but demanded to read every one Mai got.)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________(Did Azula get letters from Zuko?)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Mai waited for a lull in Iroh’s conversation. It wasn’t long; as soon as the pai sho players saw her listening, they clammed up. “Uncle, there’s a customer being difficult,” she said. She didn’t want to call Iroh Uncle, but they were in disguise. The name tag on her apron said Lee. There were a million Lees._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Watch my game,” Iroh said, and made his way over to Ka Rin._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Mai sat in the place Iroh had previously occupied, across from the man who resembled a spider. He’d moved the white lotus tile. That meant it was her turn._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Mai didn’t know how to make tea, but she did know how to play pai sho. She was no master, and preferred reality to war games played on a board, but Iroh already had several advantages. All she had to do was use them against Spider._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________She moved her white jade tile into a harmony with her jasmine._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Spider moved his earth tile._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Mai moved her air tile to prevent him from getting earth on the same lines as fire. “How many harmonies are we playing to?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Fifteen.” Spider’s voice was low and crackled like breaking granite. It matched his skin, which had wrinkles to match the cracks in desert canyons._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Fifteen harmonies. Traditionally, pai sho was played to ten. When Mai played with Zuko, they went to five, upping the stakes and saving their patience. Mai always won. When she played Azula she went to ten. She usually lost to Azula, because winning Azula’s game was losing in real life. Mai and Ty Lee went to fifteen, but always tried to let each other win. Those backwards, drawn out games were the ones Mai really learned from._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“What’s your name?” Mai asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Spider smiled wickedly, as if he’d been asked what updog was. “What do you think it is, Lee?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Spider,” she said immediately, glancing at his wiry hands and the webs in the rafters._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________His chuckle was a mad earthquake. “Close.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Close only counts in ostrich-horseshoe games and combustion,” Mai recited. Pai sho and proverbs worked nicely together._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“That it does.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Iroh got back from speaking with Ka Rin. Mai craned her neck, expecting Ka Rin to be smugly holding a coupon and possibly some _plain tea _. Instead, she was gathering up her children and leaving. Decidedly more intimidated, and slightly furious, than smug.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Whatever you did to freak her out, good job,” Mai said sincerely._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Iroh looked confused. Spider grew more wicked by the second. “Yeah,” Spider laughed, “your uncle is real charming.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Mai’s mind was flooded with the faces (and carotid arteries) of every man who’d ever told her to smile. Would she forever be cursed with the urge to murder everyone in this tea shop? Sure, Ka Rin was insufferable, but threats or negotiating would have worked just fine. Agni. No wonder Azula didn’t like her uncle. Mai could say several things about how Ka Rin was at least twenty years younger than Iroh and had a (very gaudy) wedding ring on her finger, but a look of contempt would suffice._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Mai moved her white lotus tile. Spider gasped. She said to Iroh “I win.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Static electricity danced around Admiral Zhao’s mind._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He wasn’t a good enough firebender to confirm it, but he knew he was shocked every time he considered returning to the North Pole. Zhao had never been a coward. Jeong Jeong had taught him what happens to cowards, to anyone who held back._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Zhao would rather die than desert. Would rather suffer the consequences than disobey the Firelord. The Fire Nation always came first. He didn’t lose the North Pole, he retreated tactically and would return when it was wise._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Shock. _____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Zhao rubbed his temples. Was this what it felt like to be a coward? Like a needle scraped across his brain and stopped him, surely as a wall. What had happened?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________He remembered being in the spirit oasis of Agna Qel’a and taking his chance. He remembered the Avatar, just a boy, not doing anything to stop him. He remembered a red-haired being draped in seaweed dropping like a stone, probably fainting, at the sight of him. He remembered the banished prince turning on him, an unfamiliar blankness in his movement and seeds of lightning snaking from his hands._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________Shock. _____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Lightning like spiderwebs, piercing between Zhao’s eyes. Pure terror. The thought _we need to go _louder than screaming, overriding all of Zhao’s judgement. Retreat silenced the battle, the crunch of snow and roar of steam engines the only sound left. _We need to go. _It had been so loud._____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________And the next thing Zhao knew, he was leading the navy at full speed back to Caldera._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________He’d only come to his senses ereyesterday, when he got a letter from the Firelord. The letter, written elegantly in the Fire High Court language, told him several things._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________1: He would be welcomed as a hero if he succeeded in the North Pole. That was to say, he would not be welcomed back without a victory on par with taking Agna Qel’a._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________2: Prince Zuko was legally dead, but Crown Princess Azula was going on an “unrelated” classified mission. That was to say, Azula was on her way to drag Zuko back to the Fire Nation to meet the consequences of his actions._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________3: Part of the Fire Nation Navy was required in the Colonies. That was to say, the Earth Kingdom was fighting back, and Zhao had to give his fleet away to quash them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Zhao couldn’t take Agna Qel’a without his whole navy. Zhao couldn’t take Agna Qel’a at all with electric shocks still plaguing his brain. Zhao wouldn’t return to the Fire Nation without a victory._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________The only way Zhao could return with honor had three steps._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________1: Prove he is more capable than a little girl, no matter how blue her fire was._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________2: Make Agna Qel’a irrelevant._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________3: Get vengeance on the only man who had ever beat him in an Agni Kai._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Zhao was going to capture the Avatar, _and _Prince Zuko, to restore his honor. And he’d do it faster than Princess Azula.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________That was why he was currently in a dim-lit Earth Kingdom port tavern that smelled truly rank. Zhao was a military commander, not a prince, he didn’t rush into battle without a plan. His current plan was in the middle of a betting crowd, wrestling much stronger men with a savage grin on her half-covered face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Zhao was sitting in the corner, as far from the commotion as possible, with more of an eye on the arm-wrestler than his lukewarm fire flakes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________The arm-wrestler slammed her fist on the table, winning. Her opponent roared, half broken arm and half insult. Coins showered around her. One was on a trajectory to hit her head, until she snatched it out of the air and glared at the offending thrower. He slinked out, made more noticeable than he might hope because of the door’s squeaking. The arm-wrestler raised her arms, collecting every last cheer, before saying “Boys, I think that’s it for tonight.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________The grown men groaned like children, begging her to stay just one more round. She, theatrically, would not be moved._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Coins clinking in her newly-heavy purse, she pushed open the sagging wooden door and left arm-wrestling anarchy in her wake. Zhao stood. He quietly set fire to the splintery table he’d been sitting at for the past hour, just as a distraction as he shadowed the arm-wrestler._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Outside, it was that particular time of dusk where the earth was dark but the sky was still bright and red-rimmed, and the humidity was on the bearable end of ungodly. In the shadows behind the tavern, the arm-wrestler was waiting for Zhao, one arm slung over the neck of what looked to be a rat the size of an ostrich-horse. A shirshu. It stared at Zhao with beady, near-blind eyes, which reminded him a bit of Zuko. The thought of the prince nearly set fire to Zhao’s hands once again. He smiled, though it was more a snarl. “Miss June, I presume?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“What do you want?” June combed her bangs with one fingerless-gloved hand. Zhao noticed that her topknot was bound with a skull design._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I need to find someone.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________June pretended to consider it. She didn’t really want to help him, because his face was very punchable. Not that there was anything wrong with his face, except that it was his, and June was certain he deserved to be punched. However, he also looked rich. “Nyla can help with that, for a price.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Zhao offered her more gold than she’d earn in a month of arm-wrestling. She accepted. The shirshu needed something to smell. He gave it one of the handcuffs he’d used to restrain the Avatar at Pohuai Stronghold. The shirshu went slightly feral and pointed urgently to the west._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Zhao aligned his compass with the shirshu’s nose and considered his map. The Fire Nation was to the west. “How far does that mean?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I’d say to the middle of the ocean.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Zhao cursed, and cursed again. “And the shirshu is always right?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Yes. Money back guarantee,” she said, and didn’t mean the second part._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________That meant Zhao was in the Earth Kingdom taking his precious time, and the Avatar was halfway to the Fire Nation._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Very little of that port town was unsinged by the time Zhao left at full steam ahead towards the Avatar._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________For one blissful sleep cycle, Robbie dreamed of Katara’s voice narrating the stars, ancient and calm Water Tribe legends. That was nice. But Robbie’s subconscious had a thousand years of memories, and would not be silenced._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________That was why they found themself a long time ago, waking up in the dappled shade of a large leaf dripping with dew. A long time ago, maybe the longest time._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Spirits weren’t born, and they didn’t die. There were only so many memories one mind could take, though, so at some point everything dissolved and was reformed. Under that veiny leaf’s protection, Robbie was reformed, and made the first memories of their current life._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Being reformed was disorienting. Robbie didn’t have a name yet, they didn’t remember anything of what their energy was before. The only thing they knew was that they _wanted _to know. Curiosity itched under their ears and they’d tear themself apart if it meant they’d learn what was inside them.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________The first Thing Robbie ever learned was that they were a knowledge spirit._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________They clung to that scrap of identity and put their nose to the mossy ground for more. Dizzy, tripping over their too-big paws, bony shoulders raised. Stalking and hunting for an unknown prey._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________They ran into a wall, made of cut stone and crumbly mortar, almost scraping their nose. A shadow fell over them, a shadow that would become familiar. They made themself small out of instinct._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“I am Wan Shi Tong, He Who Knows Ten Thousand Things. What has brought you to my Library?” And Robbie had never heard a voice before, so who were they to know if it was fearsome?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________They did something like speak. “I want to know.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Know what, young vixen?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Their big eyes sparkled at the monolith of an owl. “Everything.”  
The dream shifted, ripples in a pool from then._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________A test, questions from someone who already knew the answers. Bookshelves, stone blocks, sunlight in the atrium and lamplight where they belonged. Another test. New words. A plan, a curriculum._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________And they were brought before the other foxes and given a name that didn’t fit and referred to in just the wrong way, but they didn’t quite know that yet. They were called Vixen the first, and they began to study, and filled up that itching empty space under their ears and if they learned enough, they knew they’d fill that empty space in their chest, too. They could drown in studies if they didn’t drown in solitude. They were called Vixen the first, and their name didn’t fit, but they were the only one with a name besides Wan Shi Tong, and who were they to know how a name should feel?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________A lamp flickered. The Library was silent and smelled of dust._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________They turned a page._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: i got the pai sho rules here: https://www.wikihow.com/Play-the-Ancient-Game-of-Pai-Sho. 
> 
> Anyways family friends just invited us to go skiing, here’s to hoping my shoulder stays in its socket this time, unlike Jet’s. I’ll keep you posted.


	18. Immovable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's ur consolation chapter, dear reader

In the morning, only Sokka was in the dormitories, where he was supposed to be. Aang and Toph were passed out on Appa, and Robbie, Katara, and Zuko were on deck. That was what Hakoda got for letting his ship become a floating daycare, he supposed.

When Hakoda caught Katara, Robbie, and Zuko snoring like baby otter-penguins outside his cabin, Robbie had hid behind Katara, though they were taller than her, and Zuko had looked about ready to cause an international incident. That was to say, confrontationally terrified. Before Hakoda could sort through the implications of those suspicious reactions, there was a fair bit of shouting from starboard. He sighed, never a dull moment, and went over to investigate.

The little blind earthbender was… building a sand castle? 

It really was too early for this.

“What’s going on?”

The Avatar bounced in front of him. “Hi, Chief Hakoda! Toph sensed that we were near a sandbar, so she took some of the sand so she can use it to teach me earthbending.”

“Yep,” Toph said, gathering up handfuls of sand and pressing it between her palms. When she put the sand down, it was a flat sedimentary rock with smooth ridges where her fingers had been. She’d acquired a sizable pile of hand-sized rocks around her.

“Okay, sure,” Hakoda said. “Clean up when you’re done, and please don’t make boulders larger than your head.” 

“Sure,” Toph had no intention of doing either of those things. She turned to Aang. “This,” she said slowly, “is a rock.”

“Yeah, it is.” Aang looked at it. It was light brown and layered where Toph had pressed the sand hardest. 

Toph blew her bangs out of her face. “What are you doing.”

“Looking at it?”

“Do you see me looking at rocks?” Toph demanded. 

Aang rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “No…”

“What _do _you see me doing with rocks?”__

__“Bending them?”_ _

__Toph nodded sharply. “So bend it.”_ _

__Aang had a sneaking suspicion that Toph didn’t know how to teach. In his first earthbending lesson, in her backyard, she’d just chucked rocks at him and he dodged them, which was apparently incorrect. But what was he supposed to do, get hit by the rocks? It really was on him for getting a teacher that was recommended by a nonbending spirit, fought earthbending MMA, and learned from badgermoles. “How do I do that?”_ _

__“You’re an earthbender, aren’t you?”_ _

__Aang took a deep breath. “Yes, but I’ve never earthbent before. That’s why I need you to teach me.” He took the rock from Toph and tried to feel it. It felt like a rock. Immovable._ _

__“Are your eyes _open _?” Toph scoffed.___ _

____“Yeah…” Aang set the rock down. “Should they be?”_ _ _ _

____“Nah.”_ _ _ _

____“Okay.” Aang closed his eyes. The rock still felt like a rock. Shocking. “How about you show me some earthbending moves and I try them with air?”_ _ _ _

____Toph didn’t think it was a bad idea, but she still felt contrary. “Nah.”_ _ _ _

____“How about ice? Ice is a crystal, it should act like rock a little bit?”_ _ _ _

____“Fine.” Toph stomped once, and all of the hand-sized rocks converged around one foot._ _ _ _

____Aang leaned over the railing, skimmed off the top of a nearby wave, and froze it, dumping a triangle that was solidly larger than his head on the deck. Since it wasn’t a boulder, he supposed Chief Hakoda wouldn’t mind. Monk Gyatso always thought it was funny when he circumvented the rules like that. “So, what first? Rock armor? Landslide?”_ _ _ _

____“How about… move a rock?”_ _ _ _

____“Yeah, that works.” Aang hid his disappointment, though Toph couldn’t see his face, so it didn’t really matter._ _ _ _

____“Your stance sucks.” Toph kicked at Aang’s ankles with her oddly calloused toes. He nearly fell over. “See? Rock doesn’t move on its own, you have to be as solid as it.” She punched at her own pile of sandstone. It skidded across the deck. “Now you.”_ _ _ _

____Aang pressed his piece of ice. It slid, the same way Toph’s rock did._ _ _ _

____“Wrong.” Toph summoned her rock back to her. “It’s not a push, it’s a punch. Do it again.”_ _ _ _

____He did it again._ _ _ _

____“Wrong.”_ _ _ _

____“Oh, hey Katara!” Aang waved at Katara, stopping his ice mid-slide. Her hair was unraveled from her braid. Aang thought it looked pretty. Pretty cool, that was to say…_ _ _ _

____Toph giggled._ _ _ _

____“Are you guys earthbending?” Katara asked, giving another ocean wave a haircut and plopping a new piece of ice beside Aang’s._ _ _ _

____“Sure. Watergirl, you punch the rock like this.” Toph demonstrated again._ _ _ _

____Katara changed her stance to match Toph’s and imagined punching Master Pakku. Her ice bounced like a skipped rock. Satisfying._ _ _ _

____Toph pumped her fist. “Now _that’s _earthbending-style. Do it again, this time up in the air.”___ _ _ _

______Katara didn’t really want to ask, but… “Can you… see it in the air?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I don’t need to see your little ice cube, you’re the one that’s controlling it, I’ll know if your stance is wrong.” Toph pointed at Katara. “Now bend, Watergirl!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Katara made sure her connection to the ice was strong, she didn’t want to drop it. Then she adjusted her stance again, bracing herself squarely against the movement of the ship, and punched upwards. The ice shot above her head. Punch forward, and it was like it was sliding on air._ _ _ _ _ _

______Toph folded her arms. “Nice. Now, do Aang’s too.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Aang’s too?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“In a rumbl-- a real fight, you can’t have only one rock. There’s rock all around you. Use it, Watergirl.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Alright. Sure. Katara shifted her ice to one hand._ _ _ _ _ _

______Toph stomped. “What was that? We’re not learning your smooth little weight-shifting waterbending. Hold your ice with everything you’ve got. Imagine taking down your parents.” At the reaction that got, Toph corrected herself. “I mean, your enemies.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Katara chose to ignore that. “I’d take _you _down.”___ _ _ _ _ _

________“Try me, sugar queen.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Katara really was letting a twelve-year-old boss her around. She lifted the second piece of ice and punched it forward._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Both at the same time.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“A _please _wouldn’t kill you,” Katara grumbled, but she moved the ice in unison.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________And the ship rocked, as it was doing that whole time, but this time it rocked a bit too far. So far that Katara had to shift her rigid earthbender stance to stay upright, and she lost her connection to the ice. It fell._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Aang didn’t hesitate. He pushed Katara out of the way of the falling ice, and they both fell to the deck with a _thump _. Some instinct in him made him kick out at one of the pieces of ice, but since he was focusing on Katara, he wasn’t actually bending. The ice did not yield. His big toe, however, did.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________It made a noise. So did Aang._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Katara lifted Aang off of her and bent some ice into water for bending. “What happened?” She pressed healing water into Aang’s forehead arrow, following the path of blood vessels from the brain to find the injury._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Aang hissed, almost laughing. “I kicked the ice.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Toph considered whether or not to laugh at him. She decided that if he was laughing, she could too. She pointed to him, sprawled out on the deck and cradling his foot. “You kicked the ice? You total dunderhead!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Katara shot a quick glare. “You’re the one who told me to bend it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“No, yeah, I did.” Toph snorted. “But he _kicked _the _ice _!”_____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Can we be done with bending for today?” Aang asked quietly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________With perfect timing, the healer Kanut wandered past, stopped dead in his tracks, and looked ready and willing to duel Toph. He put his white hair up and stared icily. “Is anyone dying?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Aang shook his head. “I just broke my toe.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Katara had her bending water out, trying to reduce the swelling, but water couldn’t really set bone, or if it could, Yugoda hadn’t taught her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“What did Chief Hakoda say about bending on the ship?” It was a genuine question, but Kanut phrased it like it was rhetorical, because he couldn't call himself a Water Tribe healer if he wasn’t constantly dripping with sarcasm._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“No boulders bigger than my head,” Toph recited, “but in my defense, I can’t see how big the average head is, and Aang wasn’t using boulders, he was using ice.” She crossed her arms and prepared to become exactly as stubborn as Kanut._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Kanut decided to let the Chief handle that. “Avatar, come with me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Okay.” Aang used a blast of air to help himself up and stood on one foot with his fancy airbender balance. As soon as he was upright, Kanut was moving, and he followed the healer belowdecks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Katara and Toph stood there for a minute._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Uh. I guess I, sorry for... yeah,” Toph said reluctantly. She didn’t like to follow rules when they were for politeness or status or whatever, but she was tough enough to recognize that breaking the Avatar’s bones was a real no-no, and mostly her fault. In Gaoling, things that weren’t even her fault somehow became her fault anyway, so she tried to own up to this lest Watergirl get mad._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“It’s okay.” Katara reduced all of the ice to water. “Could you help me clean this dust off?” The sandstone had left sand and small pebbles strewn everywhere._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Toph stomped and all the pebbles larger than her thumb shot into the boulder._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Could you get the small ones too?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Can’t see them.” The previously-ice water sloshed over Toph’s feet. She jumped away, scowling. “Bend your water.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________While Katara mopped the deck with waterbending and bickered with Toph, Sokka and Robbie were having breakfast._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You have to try seal jerky,” Sokka said with his mouth full, brandishing a piece as if waving it around would make it look any more appetizing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I do not have to try seal jerky.” Robbie gnawed on a piece of flatbread with fruit preserves. “You will give yourself scurvy.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Sokka ignored that perfectly valid point. “Aren’t you a carnivore?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Bold of you to assume I need to eat at all in my fox form.” The fruit preserves were sour. Robbie hid their grimace and drank some water. “And carnivores eat meat, not fossils.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You’re a fossil.” Sokka pointed a half-accusing finger, but was still sitting relaxedly, so Robbie decided it was safe to correct him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I’m an artifact. There’s a difference.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Difference smiference. Just try some authentic Water Tribe cuisine.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“If I ever die, I swear I will afterwards.” Wait, that wasn’t the right phrase. Whatever._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“ _After _you die?”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Robbie looked him straight in the eyes. Or possibly in the eyebrows, as eye contact was a direct challenge for foxes, but he couldn’t tell. “Over my dead body, correct.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Deal.” Sokka tore off another bite of seal jerky._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Robbie tapped their nails on the deck. They’d cleaned the blood out from under them that morning, but they still didn’t like the way they felt. They missed their claws. Claws could sink into wood and be cleaned, but nails would snap and splinter. They hissed under their breath, the familiar sound mixing with the wind and hushing waves in their human ears. The scratches on their neck hurt. They needed a distraction. “Hey, Sokka, what did you mean when you said masters could fold people like laundry?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Sokka grinned, wide and threatening, and ate his last piece of seal jerky. “I thought you’d never ask.” He shot to his feet and yelled to Bato, across the deck, “Sneak attack!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Because of the contradictory threat, Bato had enough time to prepare before Sokka careened into him. He swept Sokka’s feet and both of them crashed onto the deck with a thud. A blur of blue-clothed movement, then Sokka squirmed under an almost bored Bato and squeaked “Tap!” Bato let him go._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Robbie crept over for a closer look. Had Bato seriously taken Sokka down by twisting his thumb? They couldn’t see evidence to the contrary. However improbable…_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“See?” Sokka said, apparently gleeful at his quick defeat._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Bato fixed his hair and continued eating his seal jerky. “Nice job, it took me a whole six seconds to get you to scream like a little girl.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“It was very impressive, sir,” Robbie said, though they didn’t get the expression. Small humans screamed at the same pitch and volume regardless of gender. Or had they missed that? They never paid attention in biology class._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Sokka shoved Robbie towards Bato. “Your turn.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Robbie thought frantically of escape plans. Could they climb the mast? Could they astral project and pretend they’d fainted? Could they plead disability because of their scratches? They shuffled their feet. “No? It’s not?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Some other time, then.” Clearly, Sokka had learned his evil smile from Bato, as the first mate looked like beating up a spirit 9,950 years his elder would be the most fun he’d had in weeks. Bato pointed towards Katara and Toph, who were still bickering more than they were mopping. “You should go help your sister.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Sokka’s shoulders slumped at the reminder that chores were just as eternal as Robbie. He took the mop from Bato and made his way over to Katara. Bato continued socializing with his crewmates._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Robbie shrank back further, keeping a good fifteen feet between themself and anyone else, feeling the acute and nameless emotion of being alone in proximity to others. Their gaze swept the ship, a little frantic._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Up in the rigging, Aang, broken toe taken care of, and Momo played fetch. Aang tossed a cabbage in a high arc to Appa, at the end of the ship, and the bison crunched it in half a bite._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________On the port side, Hakoda chatted with some crewmates and kept an eye on Aang. Clearly, he didn’t trust an airbender not to fall. That was illogical. Creases appeared between Robbie’s eyebrows. Robbie hadn’t spent much time with the chief, but if he made his opinions in stone like Wan Shi Tong did, maybe they should interfere before he made the wrong ones._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Robbie almost giggled, because they knew that if Chief Hakoda harbored the hatred towards spirits that Wan Shi Tong had towards humans, they simply could not handle it. They’d rather pitch off the ship and surrender themself to La than defend their existence to a human who thought himself unbiased and grand._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________On the starboard side, Katara and Sokka were arguing. Something about who got the good mop, and if Katara even needed one, given her waterbending, and if Toph should help, and if blind people could even mop effectively. Toph was seated with her back to the ocean, just as guarded as Robbie._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________The Water Tribe siblings argued often. Robbie had fought endlessly with their classmate Vixen when they were young and their competition vicious, and more recently they just ignored each other. Vixen liked to make cruel jokes, and Robbie laughed to get it over with, because to fight against humor was to overreact, according to Vixen, and to contribute to humor was to be lazy and useless, according to Wan Shi Tong. Vixen and Robbie never bickered harmlessly like the siblings did._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Robbie knew Vixen wasn’t really their sister, but they had grown up together, studying in unison from Robbie’s 250th year to the present, and it hadn’t occurred to them that perhaps siblings were a concept reserved for humans. They frowned a little harder at their failing to notice that idea._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Under the mast, having seeked out a patch of sunlight like a kittenlizard did, was Zuko. One of the warriors had told him how the ropes worked, it appeared, and now he was tying knots, and untying them, and tying them again. It looked more like a nervous habit than a chore, but Robbie felt like a spotlight in their vision had landed on Zuko, and they silently walked over to him, sure to appear with warning on the side of his unscarred eye._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“What are you doing?” Robbie asked, voice a half-level quietened by the instinct that told them never to be noticed. They felt like a veil separated them from the world, and it was their responsibility to keep it in place. But here they were, asking questions._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Knots,” Zuko said. He held up one tangle of rope, as if to prove his point._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Robbie pushed a coil of rope aside and sat down, their back to it. The coil bristled when rubbed the wrong way and felt rubbery with pitch. They tried to ignore the unpleasant texture of it against their hands. “Can you teach me?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Sure.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Robbie carefully snatched the tangle, examining it from four angles. It was shaped like a section on the right side of the cerebellum. “May I take it apart?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“No.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Alright.” Robbie gave the knot back, a section of rope trailing from it like a tail. “Do you need this bit?” They pointed to the excess rope._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“I don’t think so.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Robbie nodded, and grabbed the rope tightly, holding it in place with their fingertips. When they let go, a piece was severed. They wound it through their fingers and around their wrist._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Zuko gaped. “Did you… just cut that? With your fingernails?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Yes.” Robbie straightened out the rope so it hung like a dead snake from their hand. “What’s the first step?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“You make a loop, and cross over the ends, left over right.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Robbie did so, forgot which was left and which was right, tried again, and showed it to Zuko. “Like that?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Yeah.” Zuko walked them through all the steps. “Technically, these should be done in the rigging, but Aang is there right now.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Yes. Perhaps you should be teaching him, not me, then.” Robbie frowned and untangled a mistake._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“I’m saving that patience for when I have to teach him firebending.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Wise.” Robbie untangled the problem that resulted from untangling the previous flaw. “What did I miss while I was astral projecting last night?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Dinner.” When it was clear Robbie wasn’t expecting a one-word answer, Zuko continued. “It was loud? Bato was loud, at least, apparently tonight is music night and he’s looking forwards to that. And Kanut kept threatening murder, but he’s a healer, so. I don’t know. Uh. The Water Tribe has communal meals. Toph really likes salt. Everyone is loyal to Chief Hakoda.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Robbie appreciated how he listed facts in no order of importance, so they could decide for themself what mattered. “I dislike Healer Kanut.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“So do I.” Zuko attempted a difficult knot and ended up tying his own wrists together. Robbie reached over and sliced the rope away with their nails. The featherlike pieces of shredded rope were taken by the wind. “He kept going on about how being in a metal ship that was blown up in an assasination attempt is dangerous, with shockwaves and shrapnel, and I could still be seriously injured, but that was like a week ago.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Sounds frustrating.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Azula had never fought an Agni Kai, though she had both fire and honor to defend. Father was a politician, and so was Azula, and that meant that if she had to burn someone, she could do so with her words._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________In every boring meeting and lengthy state dinner, when Azula had to make small talk with her enemies in the palace, she listened to whatever they cared about. Then, after the event, she would write it all down in a list. She had information on every noble, councillor, and highly ranked servant in the Fire Palace, and if she chose to speak it, her words could slowly ruminate in her enemy’s mind, destroying them and their trust in her like a piece of meat over low heat._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________She called that information her List Of Roasts._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________With Ty Lee on the ship, Azula had hid her List of Roasts in a different place every night, and didn’t have a chance to study or add to it like she usually did. There really wasn’t much to do on a Fire Nation ship. She was bored._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Waiting for the ship to finally reach its moving destination of Robbie’s Water Tribe ship, Azula and Ty Lee were finally resorting to pai sho. At least they weren’t drinking tea yet. Ty Lee unfolded the board between her and Azula. Azula dealt the tiles._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“How many harmonies?” Ty Lee asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Azula considered hiding a flower tile up her sleeve, but decided against it. “Fifteen, why not?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Sounds good to me!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________As soon as Ty Lee was seated, on the second-best cushion (Azula got the best one), Azula played a Fire tile. It was a predictable opening, but it always worked on Ty Lee._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Ty Lee blocked a potential harmony with an Air tile. “Has Mai written yet?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Azula smiled and pretended not to know that Ty Lee was desperate for her favorite friend, Mai, to arrive and turn this mission into an adventure. “Yes, her and my uncle have acquired a ship and are sailing our way from the Ba Sing Se river. Apparently, Mai had to serve tea for a day as a cover before they left.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“I hope she had fun. I wonder what people in Ba Sing Se are like?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“She mentioned a Ka Rin, who wanted plain tea. Do you know what plain tea is?” Azula moved her Fire tile out of the way of Air._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Nope. Do you?” Ty Lee added a Jasmine tile, placing it down confidently so it clicked, a satisfying clay against hardwood, but it was out of harmony with her other pieces._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Azula knew of only one strategy that involved a disharmonized Jasmine. She slid her Fire tile across the board in accordance with that strategy. “No. It’s probably a commoner’s drink.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Do you know when they’ll get here?” Ty Lee fidgeted and moved her other tile out of harmony._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Azula frowned. “No, as it’s a hybrid ship and the winds are unpredictable.” She placed an Earth tile on the board, threatening Ty Lee’s Air, to give her one last chance._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Ty Lee played another flower tile, in disharmony and already half-compromised by Azula’s Fire tile. There was no doubt in Azula’s mind._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Ty Lee was _trying _to lose.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________That raised the question, if she wasn’t winning the game, what was she trying to win? Azula’s favor? Azula didn’t pick favorites, she didn’t need to, for two reasons. One: only the Firelord could pick favorites, and two: Azula didn’t have enough options in the way of loyal allies to pick and choose. Of course, Azula could be reading too much into it. Perhaps Ty Lee was just trying to finish the game faster, was used to being more active when she was working in the circus._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Azula moved one tile into a compromising position. If Ty Lee took it, Azula had misread. One last chance, again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Ty Le didn’t take the tile._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Well, that changed things. If Ty Lee wanted Azula to win, Azula could absolutely do so, but then where would be the fun in gloating? “How about we go to five or ten harmonies instead?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Sure.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Azula thought she saw Ty Lee relax a little, relieved. So she _was _restless. Until Ty Lee’s favorite, Mai, arrived, it was Azula’s responsibility to be the best host, to convince Ty Lee to be loyal, no matter what Azula decided about Zuzu. So she strategized.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Ty Lee moved a tile._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________What did Azula do when she was restless? She avoided Lo and Li, she took a break from paperwork, she went to the courtyard that nobody visited anymore, and she let her fire slip to orange, her vision slip to red._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________And burned._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________She lost just enough control, and reeled herself back like a fish later. She didn’t always remember what she did in that courtyard, but she knew she hid the scorch marks on the abandoned, winding path with fallen leaves afterwards. The humid air could usually extinguish her. She never went near the turtleduck pond._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Ty Lee didn’t burn. She wasn’t even a firebender, much less a prodigy. But perhaps there was an equivalent._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“After we finish the game,” Azula offered, “would you like to spar?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Ty Lee considered it, smiling. “No fire?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“No chi blocking,” Azula added, and she wondered if Ty Lee understood that. To equate chi blocking with fire, to equate benders with nonbenders, to equate Fire with what would become Fire once the war was won. It meant something. Azula wouldn’t explore what it meant, so she hoped Ty Lee would do so for her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“No armor,” Ty Lee requested, and Azula agreed. Armor was awfully heavy, after all._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Could you help me do my hair?” Ty Lee asked. Her hair was in two pigtails, slightly mussed from sleep, and she was unraveling them as she spoke._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“You expect me to know how to do hair,” Azula said. Ty Lee’s bangs curled out of the mostly-undone pigtails. Azula remembered that, before she’d been taught disdain for all symbols of balance, she’d thought the roundness of Ty Lee’s bangs looked a little like yin and yang. Now that they were older, and the ends of her bangs pointed outwards instead of into her chin, Azula knew the shapes were nothing alike. But she remembered._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“I’ll teach you?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Okay.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listen, if atla gets to go so hard on the hair and pai sho metaphors so will i.


	19. Music Night

Sokka returned from his expedition, torn between slamming the door and shutting it gently and barricading it. He was glassy-eyed and silent.

Zuko was out of his hammock, halfway to being a field medic, in a split second. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he waved Zuko off reluctantly (he looked funny when he was worried) “But Tui save me, Katara, the things I heard. Sailor shanties...” He waved his hand helplessly and sat, his back to the door. “I’ll never hear Secret Tunnel the same way again.”

Zuko tried to imagine such a music night on the _Wani _(his Fire Navy ship, now at the bottom of the ocean), and immediately wanted to burn his other eye out. And his ears, for good measure. He’d heard sailors curse. Any interpretation of a _Secret Tunnel _couldn’t be good. He retreated to a corner shadowed by Robbie’s hammock, imagination going wild.____

____Toph didn’t know many swears, and even less sea shanties. Beifong ladies didn’t curse, and the Earth Rumbles were kept at a solid PG-13. She rubbed her hands together. “Tell me all of them.”_ _ _ _

____At Katara’s _don’t teach the twelve-year-old dirty songs _Look, Sokka said “Oh, I seem to have repressed everything already, sorry.”___ _ _ _

______“I know you’re lying.” Toph bent some salt crystals between her hands, just to make a point. Not quite a threat, but._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’ll teach you some words later,” Robbie promised, always willing to share knowledge. Katara death-glared. Robbie bared their teeth._ _ _ _ _ _

______Aang interrupted, thank Tui. “How about we have our own music night? I mean, we don’t have instruments, but…”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Robbie practically glowed with a poorly-planned idea. “So, you know how you can bend sound?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Was that an Avatar thing? Wait, no. Sound was in the air. Aang remembered amplifying Appa’s whistle once or twice. “Sort of?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Technically, then, we don’t need instruments. You can invent sounds. I mean, eventually.” Robbie looked down. “It’s probably hard.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Aang practiced his marble trick as he thought. If he could amplify sounds, he could probably change them in other ways, make them higher or lower, or last longer. And if they could last longer, he probably didn’t really need an original sound anyway. “Maybe. Probably not right now.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Sokka was busy rifling around in a trunk that looked like it was not meant to be rifled around in. Strewn on the floor around him were an assortment of items, including moth-eaten gloves, half of a bar of soap, shoelaces, a leather satchel, and-- “Score!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Katara looked at her brother. He triumphantly held up… “Wooden training daggers?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“No,” Aang said, catching on immediately. “Drumsticks.” Monk Gyatso improvised instruments all the time, so Aang was practically an expert in the craft. He darted over to Sokka’s side and began searching through the trunk. He found one more, but without its pair, and-- “A tsungi horn!” The dull bronze gleamed appealingly in the orange-tinted lamplight._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Why do we have a tsungi horn in the spare trunk?” Katara asked, but the world would never know, because Toph had snatched the wooden daggers from Sokka and was doing an impressive drum solo on the trunk and Robbie was hissing at her to stop before they clawed someone’s ears out._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I _can _play the tsungi horn, but I don’t know how,” Aang warned. “Does anyone know how?”___ _ _ _ _ _

________Zuko said, from the shadows in the corner, “If Uncle couldn’t get me to play the tsungi horn, neither can you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“But I’m the Avatar,” Aang pouted, “I can get you to play the tsungi horn.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Three copper pieces he won’t get Zuko to play the tsungi horn,” Toph challenged Sokka. She knew people gambled on the Earth Rumbles, but as an employee, she’d never tried it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Six he will,” Sokka agreed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Six he won’t,” Robbie said. They knew probability._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You are not _betting _! I’m not gonna play it!” Zuko protested.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Aang just smiled wider. “Would you rather sing?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I wanna hear Zuko sing,” Toph decided. Fireboy’s gravel-slide of a voice would either sound awesome or awful pitched, and both options were exciting._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Robbie slid over to Katara and quietly asked “What’s happening?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Hazing Zuko,” Katara explained._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh, dear.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I know some Fire Nation songs,” Aang said. “The Ballad of the Dragons, the--”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What Fire Nation songs?” Zuko interrupted, still only half-visible in the corner but obviously confused._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You know,” Aang said, hanging upside down in a hammock for no real reason, “Summertime, Fire And The Flood, Sunshine Riptide, Here Comes The Sun? Are those not popular anymore?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Maybe it’s just a prince thing,” Zuko said for Aang’s benefit, “but I just know the national anthem and some Earth Kingdom songs that I don’t think Katara would want me to repeat.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“That sucks.” Aang pouted for a split second. “I should teach you some!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I wanna hear Fireboy sing dirty Earth Kingdom songs,” Toph said, to make sure her vote was acknowledged._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“No, Toph,” everyone else said in unison._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Sokka and Aang pointed at each other and accused “Jinx.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Before Sokka and Aang could begin arguing who jinxed who, Katara had an idea. “Hey, Sokka, remember the weatherman song?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“The… Wellerman?” Sokka corrected._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Katara said “Yeah, that one.” When they were little, Sokka had pestered Bato and their dad about teaching him some manly sea shanties, and so Bato had made the mistake of teaching Sokka the Wellerman song. Sokka had loved the epic tale of hunting whale-seals, and Katara had been happy to sing the catchy chorus. For weeks afterwards, the siblings made up verse after extra verse, and sang it very, very loudly whenever they had the chance until their mom told them to quiet down, and then they’d sing it again. It’d been years, but Katara still remembered the original words. Well, she thought she had, since she’d clearly misheard the title. “It’s pretty easy to teach, don’t you think?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I call drums,” Toph said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Robbie scowled. “You can’t stay on beat to save your life, and you keep hitting the metal edge of the trunk for no reason when you could use it for accenting.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Then you keep the beat,” Toph said, and handed Robbie one wooden dagger. “I’ll just do a solo whenever I want.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Sure. I assume it’s 4/4 time?” Robbie asked Sokka._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Uh, probably?” Though there was no stage, Sokka was practiced at being the center of attention, and so decided to hop up onto a hammock. He looked at Katara and they began in unison. “ _Theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere… _”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________It was always a competition to see how long they could hold the first note. When they were little, Sokka always won, but he’d forgotten to factor in the fact that his voice was lower than it had been when he was, like, nine, so the high note wore him out first. Katara grinned in triumph._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“ _Once was a ship that met the sea, and the name of the ship was a billy o’tea, _”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Robbie tapped on the metal edge of the trunk, bringing the song to a literally-screeching halt. “That makes no sense. Was the ‘ship’ a literal billy (archaic word for pot) of tea, was it named Billy O Tea, or was it named after a famed teapot? I once memorized the names of the ships under the Wellerman hunting name, none of them were named Billy O Tea, so discount that one, actually.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“You know, I don’t know.” Sokka had spent many an hour while building his watchtower pondering the same question. “Maybe we should ask Dad later.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Maybe we should!” Katara took a big breath to continue the song._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“ _The wind blew hard, her bow dipped down, blow, my bully boys, blow _.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Toph knew instinctively that it was time for a chorus, and, as such, her time to shine. As soon as the siblings belted “ _Soon may the wellerman come _,” she slammed on the trunk with both drumsticks and went wild. Robbie didn’t stop their metronomelike drumming to scold her, so she guessed she was doing it right.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“ _To bring us sugar, and tea, and rum, one day, when the tonguing is done, we’ll take our leave and go. _” Sokka tried to hit the lowest note he could at the end, but his voice ended up cracking, and Katara laughed at him before continuing to the next verse on her own.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“ _She had not been two weeks from shore, _” and Sokka joined in once more, “ _When down on her a right whale bore, the captain called all hands, and swore, he’d take that whale in tow. _” Suddenly, the siblings made a noise like a kiai as loud as they possibly could, and continued with the chorus._____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________After a few more repetitions, Robbie could hum harmonies to the verses and join in on the choruses, Aang improvised on the tsungi horn, and while Toph wasn’t exactly singing, she absolutely yelled the words when she caught onto the chorus. Zuko was the odd one out, refusing to confirm Toph’s impromptu betting ring by singing along, though the song was quite the earworm._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Finally, Sokka and Katara ran out of verses, and after one more earsplitting chorus and long-note competition, which Aang won but was probably cheating with airbending somehow, they ended the song, gasping for breath, and Aang and Toph both played little flourishes on their respective instruments. Sokka even thought he spotted Zuko smile by the end of it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Katara tried to think of songs like the weatherman song (she decided she wasn’t going to rename it in her mind) but couldn’t remember any. She’d bet that Aang knew some airbender songs, and she loved giving Aang the spotlight, but she doubted his songs would be quite as fun and rowdy. Toph definitely didn’t know any, and Zuko’d already said he only knew his national anthem, which was honestly kind of pathetic. By process of elimination… “Robbie, do you know any songs?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Immediately, Robbie forgot every song they’d ever known. “Ah, yes…” they rhythmically traced the diamond-shaped weave of their hammock as they flipped through the records of their mind. “Not that one,” they mumbled, picking an artist, “Arsonist’s... oh, no…” they traced the pattern again. “ _Not _Diatribes, not Sunlight… though did Aang say he knew that one…” They clicked their nails together and hummed, finding a worthy candidate. “Would you mind if it’s subtly anti-human propaganda? And also of a rather different, uh, vibe?”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“How subtly?” Toph asked. She liked the idea of a diss track. Maybe if Robbie was too busy talking she would get to play a _really _sick drum solo without them noticing.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Every word builds the picture,” and Robbie expected that not to be cryptic. “It’s in d flat major, at 130 bpm, and soft. It’s originally played with string plucking, but…” they shrugged. “There’s nothing wrong with percussion and tsungi horns.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Aang smiled. “I don’t know what a d flat major is. Or bpm. But cool.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“It’s the key,” Zuko said, because didn’t everyone know that? “And the beats per minute, how fast it is.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“So you _can _play it,” Aang said, like he’d caught Zuko in a lie.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“I never said I couldn’t. I said you couldn’t make me.” Zuko retreated further into his shadowy corner, on principle._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“I call drums,” Toph reiterated, just in case someone else wanted a turn on them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________Robbie visibly flinched, ostensibly resting their chin in their hands but actually covering their ears. “I said the song is quiet. Please don’t.” The one they’d chosen was old and important to them, and though they didn’t mind the addition of instruments, they didn’t want its essence to be changed. In the Library, only the librarian was allowed to be loud. There were no such rules in the human world. They could hear every individual wave hitting the ship and the wood of the boat creaking in reaction, the popping of lamp oil and the boat’s rocking, the rumble of the music night abovedecks, and the breathing of everyone in the room. They’d been humming, but it didn’t drown it all out. Nobody else seemed bothered. Maybe their ears were more sensitive, another fox trait stuffed into their human body. Maybe they themself were more sensitive._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Fiiiiine.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________Once Robbie was certain Toph was standing down, they removed their hands from their ears and continued tracing the hammock until all the fibers of the weave pointed the same way. “May I start on the count of three?” Their voice was softer, as if to make room for all the other noise in their ears._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Sure,” Katara said, confiscating the drumsticks from Toph and starting a slow, muted percussion on the soft wood of the trunk._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________Robbie swayed, and hummed three notes of a chord, finding that they didn’t need a pitched instrument to keep the key. Their voice was higher than the song, so they reluctantly transposed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________A breath, an adjustment in their ever-changing posture, and they began._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________”Her eyes, and words, are so icy, oh, but she burns, like rum on a fire.” _Robbie cut off the note on the end of _fire _too early, realizing the elemental imagery might not be ideal for their audience. But they were no quitter. Another breath, and the second line. _”Hot, and fast, and angry as she can be. I walk my days on a wire. It looks ugly, but it’s clean, oh Mama, don’t fuss over me.” ________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Robbie realized too late that nobody in the room had a Mama that would fuss over them. Katara’s slow drumming hadn’t stopped, though, so neither would Robbie._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________A breath, a tensing of muscles for the highs of the chorus. _”The way she tells me I’m hers, and she’s mine, open hand or closed fist would be fine. The blood is rare, and sweet as cherry wine.” _This was where the string-plucking should've come in, but instead Robbie just hummed every other note of it, and continued to verse two.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________________”Calls of guilty thrown at me, all while she stains the sheets of some other.” _Robbie sang that line a little quieter, hoping the youngest of the gaang didn’t catch it. _”Thrown at me, so powerfully, just like she throws with the arm of her brother. But I want it, it’s a crime she’s not around most of the time.” ______ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________________Another powerful breath for the chorus, and the third verse. _”Fight and fury’s fiery, oh, but she loves,” _they paused at the word, _“like sleep to the freezing. Sweet, and right, and merciful. I’m all but washed in the tide of her breathing.____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________________So it’s worth it, it’s divine. I have this… some of the time.” _Another chorus, and an ending that felt like breathing in circles, fading out of existence.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________Robbie opened their eyes and steadied themself. When had they closed their eyes, when had they started swaying? At least it was quieter now, but why was everyone staring at them? Was the anti-human propaganda more obvious than they’d thought? Was their human voice grating? They knew they didn’t like the high pitches of it. “Ah… sorry?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________Aang didn’t look happy, but he said “That was really nice. Sad, but good. Who wrote it?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“A bog spirit.” Robbie had forgotten his name. “He wrote about devotion and lived in a more primitive culture.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“Question?” Zuko said, because he didn’t usually listen to sappy love songs like that one. “Where was the propaganda part?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________Robbie traced the pattern again. “The bog spirit, the perspective from which the song is being sung, is in the thrall of the human woman’s more powerful aura. The repeated phrase ‘I’m hers and she is mine’ implies that she has forced him to possess her, and in turn she becomes the possessive one as he loses himself in her mind whenever she pleases.” The interpretation became flimsy only once they presented it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________Sokka stroked his nonexistent beard. “Who says that ‘she’ is a human? She’s ‘icy, but she burns’? That’s frostbite, right there.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________Katara understood the lyrics. Gran Gran had warned her about men like the woman in the song. She had watched Jet carefully, to make sure he wouldn’t be cruel, and was furious that she’d had to do so. But she was willing to pretend, so she teased Sokka, asking “Did you figure that out all on your own?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“Shut up,” Sokka confirmed. “And it literally says ‘sleep to the freezing’, the last stage of hypothermia is finding a place to sleep. Or. You know.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“Die,” Robbie supplied helpfully._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________Aang considered that. “If Robbie’s idea is right and ‘she’ is a human that wants to… own… the bog spirit, why does she treat him like an enemy?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“Elaborate,” Robbie asked, still tracing the pattern. The fibers of the fabric were facing one way, stood on their ends like an army, and they began tracing the other way, smoothing it down to a lighter sky-blue._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“It says she’s merciful. You treat your enemies with mercy, you treat strangers with kindness and friends with compassion, but he says that’s how she loves him. Mercifully.” Aang did his marble trick. “I don’t know. It’s a weird song.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“Well,” Toph said, “I just think it sounded neat.” She’d done enough fancy schoolwork, studying literature that she couldn’t even read, to care enough to try and interpret some spirit song._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________Zuko was still and silent in the corner. He hadn’t missed the line , and he hadn’t missed how nobody acknowledged it. _You treat your _enemies _with mercy. _The Firelord had been merciful to allow him a chance to return from his banishment, even if the Avatar wouldn’t be captured, merciful to spare his life at the Agni Kai and to spare it when he was born. Was he his father’s enemy?_____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________________________He _was _an enemy of the Fire Nation. But he hadn’t always been.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The songs are Wellerman (the version here is by The Longest Johns but as it's an old sea shanty the original author is unclear) and Cherry Wine by Hozier


	20. Common

Ash fell on Azula’s ship. The traditional warning, “The Fire Nation are coming,” turned its tables on her, but the only ship within the horizon wasn’t a Fire steamship. It had sails, billowing and light green, and was smaller than a caravel. An Earth Kingdom hybrid ship. And what Earth Kingdom hybrid was she expecting?

“Ty Lee,” Azula called, “Mai is close.”

Ty Lee, who had been perched on the roof of the captain’s cabin, front-flipped over to Azula and squealed directly in her ear. 

“You could’ve fallen,” Azula pointed out, as she was at the bow of the ship, holding the polished railing with both hands, only the height of the ship preventing sea spray from blowing into her face. 

“But I didn’t,” Ty Lee said, and Azula couldn’t argue with that.

The Earth ship was close enough that Azula could see Mai. It didn’t look like Uncle had come with Mai, but she looked fine.

Azula was assaulted with all her memories that Mai starred in. When she shot fire at Mai’s head and Zuzu had pushed her into the fountain. When Mai picked the lock on the freezer in the kitchens, saving the Great Mochi Heist. When Mai threw a dart into a nobleman’s topknot and it stayed there for the whole party, everyone too polite to point it out. When Ty Lee wanted to get manicures and Azula refused, but Mai let her paint her nails a smudged black, even though neither of them were professionals and Ty Lee couldn’t find the nail poish remover. 

Azula’s heartbeat sped up, which she assumed was a sign that competition was nearing. She turned to Ty Lee. “Race you to Mai?”

“On the count of three?” Ty Lee said. “One. Two.”

“Three.” Azula vaulted onto the railing and Ty Lee backflipped onto the roof once again. 

Ty Lee crouched, holding onto the curved corner of the roof, and calculated her jump. The wind would push her favorably, her braid, functioning as a wind tell-tale, confirmed it. She counted the waves in between Azula’s ship and Mai’s. She tensed.

And she jumped.

Over the shining railing, the sky-deep ocean, the glare of the sun forcing her eyes shut, the chilling wind whipping at her clothes, she landed.

Right behind Mai, who was wearing green and had her hair in an Earth style and was doing everything but slouching. Ty Lee latched onto Mai, half to hug her friend and half to prove that she won the race.

Then, Ty Lee remembered who she was racing against, and froze, still attached to Mai from behind.

Azula _flew _over, twin vortexes of eye-achingly blue fire shooting from her steel-toed boots, evaporating the ocean just far enough behind her for the steam not to rise and burn her. She dropped down beside Mai and nodded, smug as the loser to a race could be. “Good evening.”__

__“Good evening,” Mai echoed, Ty Lee on her arm. “So, now that nobody can intercept our mail, what’s going on?”_ _

__“We’re finding my dear Zuzu,” Azula said. She’d been clear about that much in her letter._ _

__Mai looked at Azula, and Azula remembered why she couldn’t control her. Yes, Azula could read her, she had a whole section in her List of Roasts for Mai, but that stare was like being autopsied. Azula wasn’t afraid of Mai. But she could be. Mai asked, in that same quiet drone, “And then what?”_ _

__~~~_ _

__Zuko was staring at the ceiling. The ceiling was not staring back, as it was darker than Koh’s cave in the dormitory, and there was no real reason Zuko should even have his eyes open. It was the same, ink-black, either way._ _

__Zuko was thinking. Probably not very well, but at least he was trying to make use of the fact that he was not tired in the slightest. He could hear the snoring of everyone around him, and it seemed synchronized, which was quite the phenomenon. He wasn’t really thinking about the fact that everyone but him was asleep. He was thinking about how, if Aang was right that mercy was for enemies, something was very wrong, either with his father’s ruling style or the entire Fire Nation._ _

__Probably both, knowing what he knew from Robbie in the North Pole._ _

__Zuko was also thinking about Sokka. Particularly, how Sokka had sounded very nice singing the sea shanties that Katara deemed appropriate, and had looked very nice when it was his turn on the DIY drums. Zuko was thinking about how he didn’t hate thinking about Sokka. Maybe, if Zuko was really committing to the whole treason thing, they should be friends._ _

__Who was Zuko kidding? He’d already committed to the whole treason thing, but he’d never had friends, so he’d likely not start with a clever Water Tribe boy with a great voice._ _

__He sighed and swung his legs out of his hammock, careful not to make the hammock creak and wake anyone. He slid his hand to the knot where the hammock attached to the ceiling and stood tall before the ship’s rocking could unbalance him. Feeling a little like a blind zombie, he crept past everyone asleep, found the edges of the doorframe with his hands, and slid into the hallway. A glowing-edged square in the ceiling revealed the trapdoor, and the ladder would be under it._ _

__A whisper. “What are you doing?”_ _

__Zuko jumped and slammed his head on the doorframe turning around. “Agni, Robbie, fuck off,” he hissed._ _

__Robbie’s shadowy silhouette slumped. “You woke me up.”_ _

__“How?” He was the Blue Spirit, he was a master of stealth._ _

__Robbie twisted their hair through their hands. As if they’d explain how they heard _everything _. “If you stay here you will wake everyone else. May I join you.”___ _

____“Fine.” Zuko waved Robbie over, then remembered they probably couldn’t see them, and felt stupid. He had to look up and find the trapdoor’s outline again, and reach for the ladder until his hand closed on a wooden cylinder and he hoped that was the frame of it. He took the first two steps blind, then was high enough to push open the trapdoor and let moonlight in._ _ _ _

____It wasn’t quite as bright a night as the previous one, because clouds had gathered in front of the waning moon and brightest stars, but the light was still enough to wash pure silhouettes in grayscale texture. Zuko climbed the rest of the way onto the deck and waited for Robbie._ _ _ _

____Robbie clung to the ladder rungs, squinting in the sudden moonlight, before slithering onto the deck and slowly replacing the trapdoor. As they maneuver themself into a sitting position, they asked “So, Prince, what is eating you like a parasitic brain worm?”_ _ _ _

____Zuko was taken so far aback he might’ve taken a leaf out of Robbie’s book and astral projected for a moment. “I… what?”_ _ _ _

____“Oh,” Robbie flapped their hands, finding words, “I can sense the existentiality irreversibly petrifying everyone all the time, and I am expected to talk about the weather. Spit your words out if you die to say them.”_ _ _ _

____Zuko wasn’t sure if Robbie meant _if you’re dying to say them _or _if it kills you to say them _, but he obediently sorted his mind into cubes._____ _ _ _

________In one cube, there was Father. Zuko was chaining his father into one place in his mind, after what Aang said. Something was wrong there, and so he would place every memory he had of his father in this cube until he could solve it, and once it was solved he would discard it all. Something was wrong there, and he already knew Robbie thought it wasn’t to be fixed. They’d told him that much. _You’re not going to capture Aang, you… loyalist. _They’d done their research and come to their conclusion, and they wouldn’t help him with it any more.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________In another cube, there was Sokka, and perhaps that boy Jet, and he really shouldn't be so afraid of that cube._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“That one is, in fact, the bitch,” Robbie said, moving to snap their fingers in finality but sitting on their hands instead._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Zuko avoided looking at Robbie. While the spirit had nothing against committing crimes, and had a passable track record in secret-keeping, the words still stuck in his throat like broken glass. “How do you know if you’re… Kyoshian or. You know, like Sokka?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You would have to ask him.” Robbie didn’t know much about that. They were a scholar, not a human._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I don’t want to ask him.” Zuko was glad for the grayscale moonlight, as he went unnecessarily red._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Alright.” Robbie probably knew more than the average spirit, or, Agni forbid, Fire Nation citizen, about Kyoshians. “I think you’re getting ahead of yourself.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Thank Agni.” Zuko relaxed so much he might have melted. The floorboards squeaked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Robbie raised an eyebrow. “What’s there to be relieved about?” Robbie knew the answer. They just hoped that if Zuko answered their question aloud, he’d realize the foolishness of Sozin’s legislation._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Zuko looked just about ready to flee. Robbie decided to take it slow. “There’s an order in learning all things. You’re…” they thought of an appropriate comparison. “Asking about lightning-bending before finishing the burning leaf control exercise.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“So, what’s the burning leaf?” Impatient._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“That nothing is wrong.” Zuko’s aura was exuding danger. It wasn’t his fault, but it was exhausting. “Other people, and I don’t just mean confused Fire boys, I mean people like me, and Sokka and Kyoshi, and especially people that you don’t know or understand, they’re all brave and honorable. They found and became themselves. Whatever you’re afraid of, you need to get over it, otherwise you’ll end up hurting someone else in your quest for answers.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Clearly that wasn’t an appealing prospect, but Zuko nodded. “No man left behind?” A Fire military slogan. He had a long way to go._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“No woman left behind either.” Robbie propped their elbows underneath them in a lull in the boat’s rocking. “No one at all.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Okay. I get it.” Zuko didn’t get it, but he would. He’d learned stranger things._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“The second thing you need to learn is that you’re not losing anything.” Robbie remembered being lost. They wouldn’t tell this human anything before he was prepared. They would make a lesson learned into a lesson taught. He wouldn’t end up like them, not if they could help it. “Not honor. Not anyone you should be around. Not innocence.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m not innocent,” the Fire prince said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yes, but you wish you were.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Robbie really had no right to psychoanalyze bombshells like that. Agni. Zuko pushed past that. “And the third thing?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Robbie took a long look at Zuko. He was so young. “I think two is enough for now.” They counted off the lessons of the day on their fingers. “Other people deserve respect, you deserve respect, you don’t lose anything by discovering what exists.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Zuko sort of laughed. “You sound like my uncle.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Considering Robbie’s curt experience with the general, they thought it was a high compliment to Iroh. “Thank you for speaking.” Zuko’s aura was still something to shrink from, but at least it was a little quieter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________They both sat there for a while. Robbie searched for the stars through the clouds, and noticed how fast the clouds were actually moving. Zuko considered whether or not he could sleep now, searching through his thought-cubes. After a couple minutes of the soon-becoming cursed, weather-small-talk inducing silence, Zuko offered “What would you do if I captured the Avatar?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Robbie looked at him slowly, head tilted down in thought so the whites below their irises showed. “Bring you down from that roof, sweet Achilles, because your ideas are not quite as harebrained,” no offense to the hares that they’d been acquaintances with, “as I often hyperbolise, but that would truly be.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Would you possess me?” Zuko pushed, because he was a little unfamiliar with the concept of forgiveness and general “human” decency._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Never.” As they avoided eye contact, Robbie tacked on “Again.” Robbie knew that Zuko wasn’t going to capture the Avatar, they’d known it since a lesser fox first brought record of the prince’s banishment to the Library and they’d held onto the document a bit too long, and Vixen noticed and stole it to get a reaction, and had gotten one. Robbie knew why Vixen liked getting them to react, after During, but it didn’t make it any less infuriating._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Robbie touched a sharp-ended hand to their face. Their fingers felt ice-cold. They breathed the lukewarm, ever-salty air and hoped their skin didn’t betray the old anger-red beneath. Robbie knew how bad ideas worked. Sometimes, thoughts of the sort just needed to move on to haunt another place. “Disregarding the most immediate, violent, possibility of failure, what would happen in the event of success?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“The Avatar would be imprisoned, I would be permitted to return home, the Fire Nation would win,” Zuko recited, flat as cheap, dry ink._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Robbie had expected the tactical consequences, but that worked. They politely rephrased “Aang, a grieving child, would be tortured, you would be metaphorically snuffed out, the rest of the world would fall, and there’s a considerable chance of civil war.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Zuko’s face fell in that particular way faces did when they were reprimanded after already being guilty. “So, what _do _I do?”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Robbie’s teeth were bared as they vicariously accepted the challenge. “Aren’t you curious?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Robbie had dropped those bombshells, and just gone back to sleep, like Zuko was a piece of faulty equipment to be patched and left behind. Zuko was still sitting beside the trapdoor, staring at the warps and flaws in the wood. Without light to lend color to the scene, the wood looked like the veins in cut stone, his shadow falling over it and back again as the floor rose and fell with the waves._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________The past few days (the past few years) had been a whirlwind. He’d been possessed, captured, bullied into playing the tsungi horn, shopping, sparring with the Avatar without fire, told his sister might be committing treason for him, and fully disoriented, not in that order. He’d gone along with it, because resistance would be fighting a riptide, and he didn’t know where he’d drown. And now he couldn’t sleep, and that confusion wore off. He was angry again. Sparks danced in his breath and hands._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________His fire was back. Not in full force, but it was there. He could feel the sun, on the other side of the planet, and the reflection on the moon, and that reflection warming the waves, spilled pearls on ever-moving peaks out to the horizon. He could feel the fever-hot wrongness in his mind, there ever since the North Pole and before, and he was angry again, and he stood._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________On the starboard side, the deck was still damp and dusted in earth from Toph’s earthbending lesson. Water and earth did not catch fire, so Zuko half-stumbled over there before he could catch the deck below his feet on fire. He caught himself on the creaky wood railing before he could pitch into the inky waves, but it was a close call._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________His fire was back, and it would not be contained._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________He clung to the railing, narrowly avoiding splinters, while he reeled back his balance, and stepped back three measured steps, facing the waves._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________And firebent._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________The fire was brighter than the moon, nearing white, searing the air and boiling the sea spray. Zuko stared at its bright imprint on the back of his working eye as he shifted to another kata, forcing the fire out before it burned him from the inside._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________The roar of fire in his ears disguised the footsteps behind him until he heard Katara ask “Zuko, _what _are you doing?”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Annoyance sparked, but Zuko exhaled and the fire disappeared. “You’d better go,” he said, “I’m an angry firebender.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Well, I’m an angry waterbender.” A wave rose with Katara’s hand. One sliver separated with the mass of water and froze into a band, pulling her sleep-disheveled hair back. She smiled, teeth white as the brightest part of a metal blade. “Want to fight?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________There was something satisfying about sending fire at someone that fought back instead of the cool, yielding air. And to have a waterbender there for any loss of control. Zuko nodded once, sharp, and punched a swirling column of fire at Katara._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Katara gathered her wave under her and rose above the fire, then separated off some ice daggers, which she rhythmically shot down at Zuko._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________He deflected every one and pushed forward, a disc of fire separating Katara’s water from the deck._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Katara jumped forward as the water collapsed, and landed behind Zuko. Zuko whipped around and kicked fire in an arc at her face. She ducked. He punched at her. She aimed a water whip at his feet and, before he could escape, brought him crashing to the deck._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________They both paused to catch their breaths, Katara standing over Zuko._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Why are you awake?” Zuko finally asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Katara didn’t keep it a secret, but she still had to push past the instinct to lie. “The Fire Nation took my mother from me.” She touched her mother’s necklace almost unconsciously. Zuko had taken the necklace from her once. She was glad she had it back._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________He sat up, but didn’t look at her. “We have that in common.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Katara sent the water she’d taken from the ocean spilling through the roots of the railing, making ten tiny waterfalls down the ship. “The Water Tribe…?” Her mind forcibly removed itself into Zuko’s shoes, imagining. If the Northern Water Tribe took his mother, of _course _he’d fight them. The sides of the war, the big picture of world affairs, meant nothing compared to family. Katara imagined him like Sokka, wanting desperately to be a warrior, but without a father to tell him he was too young.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Katara thought she remembered the Fire Nation having a princess, too. She must not have been able to keep Zuko home. Ever since Zuko fought Jet, Katara had known he was loyal, the first night on the _Akhlut _, Katara had known he was human, but now she knew he could’ve been good. She forgave him.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“No,” Zuko shook his head, “The Fire Nation.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was fun, wasn't it? Some gay little competiton and character development, and bonding by fighting. Just what you ordered. Now, the political plot is back on for next chapter, so buckle your seatbelts. <3


	21. On The Horizon

Hakoda had a telescope. He really liked his telescope, it had been a gift from Bato, and its perfect glass lenses were bound in polished bronze. It was also, in the war, very useful for watching other ships. Hakoda was using his telescope to watch the dark speck on the horizon that had appeared that morning. 

It was a boat, that was for sure. It was dark gray, the color of metal, and if Hakoda squinted, he thought he could see smokestacks. A Fire Nation ship. And it was getting closer. 

He wondered if Prince Zuko, or that weird spirit, had anything to do with this. 

“What are you looking at?”

Hakoda did not jump, and lowered his telescope from his eye slowly to see that Sokka had migrated to his side and was also squinting at the horizon. “A ship.”

“It’s a Fire Navy one, right?” Sokka asked. “I know what they look like.”

Hakoda was once again struck with the fact that his children had traveled the world with the Avatar, and a larger bounty than Hakoda himself had, as a Southern Water Tribe chief, was on their heads. “Yes.” 

“Robbie said that Princess Azula is,” Sokka did air quotes and couldn’t help doing a posh accent, “arguably on our side. So maybe it’s her.”

“Princess Azula… of the Fire Nation?” Why did nobody tell Hakoda anything? Tui and La, he was the _chief _.__

__“Yeah. I’ll go ask them.”_ _

__Hakoda felt a headache coming on, and he didn’t think it was because of the glare reflecting off of the ocean._ _

__Robbie was eating breakfast, preserves and flatbread once again, when they located Sokka’s sharp, snowflake-ridden aura approaching. Once they predicted he was in his earshot, they reiterated “I am not trying seal jerky. I can _hear _that it has the texture of a woven basket and twice the splinters, and I would rather--”___ _

____“Is Princess Azula supposed to be around here?” Sokka interrupted Robbie’s blasphemous tirade. “Because there’s a Fire Nation ship on the horizon and it’s headed for us.”_ _ _ _

____Robbie tore off a piece of bread with their fingertips as they thought. “I believe not. It must be another.” A bit of dread joined their breakfast in their stomach. “Does the chief need to identify its commander?”_ _ _ _

____The sun was directly behind Sokka, turning him into a haloed blue-clothed monolith above Robbie. “Yeah, I think so.”_ _ _ _

____Robbie touched the bandages at their neck. The pain was dull at the moment, the scratches didn’t bleed every time they turned, only every other time. It had been more than a day since their last excursion. According to their self-imposed rules, it was safe to leave._ _ _ _

____And this was the Chief's ship, his territory._ _ _ _

____The Library was Wan Shi Tong’s territory, and what he said went. He didn’t tell Robbie things twice, if they wanted their Ten Thousand they should be clever enough to follow instructions. Robbie suspected the Chief was different from Wan Shi Tong, but he was still a leader._ _ _ _

____And it shouldn’t be _that _dangerous, right?___ _ _ _

______Robbie put their head in their hands. The deck was hard under them. They focused on that, strengthening that root until they felt themself fade, like fainting, and felt themself rise in their fox form. Their human body slumped forward, the last bite of flatbread still in hand._ _ _ _ _ _

______They rose and slipped around the ropes, ducking away from the blillowing, ghostlike sails. They perched on the top of the main mast. Spinning, they found the horizon, and spotted one thing blocking it from view. A growing dot of grey, steam and coal smoke following it like a tell-tale._ _ _ _ _ _

______Robbie closed their eyes and exhaled all of the color out of themself. Every flame-red hair took on the sky’s blue and every ivory claw the fibrous river of wood beneath them. They knew how to be invisible. It was useful in the Library._ _ _ _ _ _

______They stepped off the mast and did not fall. They had no mass as a spirit, only volume, why should they? Gravity was for humans. So was inertia, because the high, whipping wind did nothing to impede their flight to the approaching ships._ _ _ _ _ _

______Back on the _Akhlut _, Sokka watched Robbie fall limp as a fallen animal and thought, at first, that they had fallen asleep, direct sunlight and unfinished breakfast be damned. But of course they hadn’t. Of _course _they’d done their whole not-really-dying thing, again, and now it was Sokka’s job to tell Katara and Kanut before the spirit forgot how to wake up again. Where had they even gone?_____ _ _ _ _ _

___________Oh. _Sokka groaned. Robbie must’ve thought he was telling them to investigate. He really hoped the ship, now the size of a fire flake on the horizon, wasn’t one of the bad guys. Could you trap a spirit?__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Would it be Sokka’s fault if Robbie got captured?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Katara, Sokka remembered, was taking care of Appa at the stern. Sokka considered what to do with Robbie and decided on dragging their body off to the side, onto the coiled ropes below the mast, so nobody would step on them and they wouldn’t get sunburned. Robbie had spent yesterday afternoon there tying ropes with Zuko, surely they wouldn’t mind spending more time there._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Tui and La, unconscious bodies were heavy._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Want some help?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Sokka startled at Zuko’s voice and dropped Robbie. Robbie fell backward onto the deck, their head landing with a _crack _. Great. He thought of surreptitious ways to check for concussion when they woke, though he knew they didn’t actually fall that far. He straightened up, a little embarrassed, and said “Sure, thanks.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Zuko on one side and Sokka on the other, they lifted Robbie onto the rope coils. Robbie slumped, back upright, against the mast, so they really did look like they were napping. Sokka did _not _think about how much easier it was to move Robbie with Zuko’s help, how much of Robbie’s weight Zuko was lifting with no apparent effort, and thus how ripped Zuko must be. “Could you get Katara?” Sokka asked.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Sure.” Zuko left to find Katara, walking a bit faster than normal._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Robbie returned to their body, heart and head pounding, slouching rather uncomfortably on… was that rope? They squinted at whatever was blocking the sunlight, and noted that they were rather tired of backlit people looming in front of them. “Toph?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You’re back,” Toph said, smiling._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Robbie knew that smiling meant happiness to most humans, but Toph really looked like she was baring her teeth. “I think I need to speak to the chief. Do you know where he is?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Maybe,” Toph said. “But before you go off politicking--”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Robbie interrupted. “I really need to speak to the chief, Toph.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“And you _can _, but yesterday you told me you’d teach me some bad words and you still haven’t.” Toph tapped her foot impatiently. She was going to hold Robbie to their word, and was still a little annoyed that Katara made her “watch” over Robbie to make sure they didn’t die in their sleep or something. As if spirits could die. Toph inwardly scoffed.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Robbie saw that it would take more time to argue, so they buried their claws in the rope and thought. “Fuck.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Fuck,” Toph repeated. “I like it. What’s it mean?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“It has roots in languages we don’t speak, originally meaning ‘to strike’ but the meaning has shifted. It’s best used as an exclamation, rarely in noun form, is the only known infix, and is unnecessarily vulgar in verb form,” Robbie recited. “Now, is that enough?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Sure.” At the look Robbie gave her, Toph admitted “Chief Hakoda is in his office. Duh.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Thank you,” Robbie said through gritted teeth. They hauled themself upright, still dizzy from astral projection, and looked around for the captain’s cabin. Having acquired their target, they quickly shuffled over to the cabin and rapped on the door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“What is it?” Chief Hakoda said from inside the cabin._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“It’s Robbie, sir. Not to interrupt,” Wan Shi Tong hated being interrupted, “But I found out who commands the Fire Nation ship.” They felt rather stupid talking to a door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________The door swung open. Robbie took several steps back. Hakoda wasn’t backlit, as the cabin was only lit by a lamp and a window, but he was still a head and a half taller than Robbie and seemed more like a symbol than a person._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“How did you find out?” Hakoda asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Robbie resisted the urge to spin their hands as they thought of an explanation. Words were so difficult. “I, uh, astral projected. Took my spirit over there and looked, and saw.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“What did you see?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Hakoda might’ve meant it to sound like a patient prompt, but Robbie took one look at his deep-ocean aura and could only think of Vixen’s rigged riddles. They swayed on their feet. Their head hurt, for some reason. “Zhao.” They said the name like it was a curse._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________Zhao. _Hakoda recognized the name. Sokka had told him that Admiral Zhao tried to kill the moon, and Princess Yue would be dead if Robbie hadn’t arrived when they did. Hakoda didn’t pretend to know what astral projection was, or most of the spiritual things Robbie seemed to use. The Southern Water Tribe had lost most of their spirits in the war. Hakoda did, however, know how to deal with hostile Fire Nation commanders, and it didn’t matter that much that the ship on the horizon was bigger than any of the Fire Navy ships the _Akhlut _had bested. “Thank you for telling me.” Hakoda noticed that the spirit was glassy-eyed, off-balance, and fidgeting with their odd sharp nails, a twisted, waxy expression of doom on their face. “Are you alright?”____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Robbie startled. “Uh, no, sir.” They twisted their hair out of their face. “Moving on, I spied on Zhao and you should know that even if your children could escape on Appa, Zhao modified his engines to be considerably faster than your ship in the current winds, would absolutely take you hostage in an attempt to capture the Avatar, and I doubt diplomacy will have a place, so.” They didn’t want to look like they were undermining the Chief’s authority, but they had to say “Subterfuge in some form is the only safe course of action.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Who had taught this kid war tactics but not conversational tact? “I’ll keep that in mind, thank you. Could you tell Zuko to come talk to me?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Robbie nodded sharply and fled._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Zuko, aura eye-achingly bright, was talking with Sokka. Robbie heard what the two were saying, but forgot immediately after they said it, as if their brain was a full glass and any more information would just spill over the rim. “Chief Hakoda wants to talk to you in his office,” they told Zuko._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Zuko’s aura promptly shrank to a candle flame, unsteady in the wind. “Okay.” He went to the Chief’s office, feeling unnamed dread._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“I’m told you are the Fire Prince,” Hakoda said. He was sat at a desk with a high-quality telescope teetering atop of several maps._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Yes, sir,” Zuko said. He didn’t quite know how to stand. Should he put his hands at his sides or behind his back? Did it matter? “Banished, though.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Hakoda wasn’t really worried about that part. “Robbie has found out that the commander of the ship is Admiral Zhao. Do you know him?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“We fought an Agni Kai,” Zuko offered, and wanted to take a vow of silence to avoid saying stuff that stupid._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________It occurred to Hakoda that he should take notes. He was pretty sure his inkwell was underneath his map of the eastern Earth Kingdom and his blank paper was on the floor next to his hammock, though, so he’d just remember. “What’s an Agni Kai?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“A firebending duel for honor, sir.” Zuko decided not to mention that the duel was for the right to capture the Avatar. “Zhao is an experienced and underhanded commander. His biggest flaw is his inability to retreat.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Have you ever worked _with _him?” Hakoda had to ask. Sokka and Katara might think the prince was on their side, but as their father and as a chief, he had to be sure.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“No.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________There was something molten in the prince’s eyes, and Hakoda found that he believed him. Hakoda didn’t know why, but you couldn't fake that, Zuko _hated _Zhao. That was good, he guessed. “Thank you.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Zuko moved to bow, remembered that the Water Tribe didn’t bow, stood there awkwardly for a full second, and left._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Robbie had some semblance of a plan, or at least they told themself so. First, they would finish that last bite of their breakfast, and possibly try whatever soup that was making the galley smell so good. Second, they would write some things down. Third, they would find what they needed, and a way to hide it. Fourth, they would ask Katara to use her healing water to coax Robbie’s off-kilter spirit further into their body._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Finally, they would push their doubts down to Koh’s cave and commit to what was quickly appearing to be the only option._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is a cult still a cult if it doesn't break the law? If it does, is it also a gang? If you could lead a cult without getting arrested, would you? I'm not the best at conversation starters but that sure breaks the ice like a s1e1 Katara amiright


End file.
